Copyright Literacy and Creative Commons: What It Is and Why It Matters for You and Your Community

"Copyright anxiety" is something felt by both librarians and patrons - what am I allowed to do with the content I find online? Will I get in trouble if I use this picture / meme / article / text? This webinar will cover the basics of copyright: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. We will then introduce Creative Commons, an organization that provides a suite of legal tools to help creators and users understand, at a glance, what they can and cannot do with creative content.

By the end of this 1-hour webinar, participants will be able to:

• - Understand the basics of copyright law and how it fits into the landscape of intellectual property
• - Recognize the difference between "free" and "open" content, especially online
• - Describe the Creative Commons legal tools and understand what they mean
• - Know where to go for more information and additional help.

About the Presenter:

Jennryn is Creative Commons’ Director of Learning and Training. She leads CC’s global training and consulting work, which increases open access to education, science, and culture in the public interest.

Prior to CC, Jennryn worked for the U.S. Department of State, piloting using openly licensed educational resources (OER) for public diplomacy and global partnerships. She’s also enjoyed gaining different perspectives about access, education and cross-cultural communication through language studies and international development work. 

Jennryn has a Masters in ‘Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs’ from American University’s School for International Service. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, a Boren Fellow in Thailand, and a Critical Language Scholar in Egypt. Jennryn was most impacted by her work with rehabilitation and education efforts for homeless children in Thailand, as well as under-resourced farming communities in Niger.