Primary tabs
You don't need to be an ALA Member to purchase from the ALA Store, but you'll be asked to create an online account/profile during the checkout to proceed. This Web Account is for both Members and non-Members. Note that your ALA Member discount will be applied at the final step of the checkout process.
If you are Tax-Exempt, please verify that your account is currently set up as exempt before placing your order, as our new fulfillment center will need current documentation. Learn how to verify here.
- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the author
- Reviews
Essential Law for Information Professionals offers easy-to-follow practical advice on the law as it affects information management and the fundamental principles underlying practice.
The seven years since the last edition was published has seen the introduction of important new pieces of legislation as well as relevant legal cases, which have demonstrated how the law has played out in practice. This new, fully up-to-date fourth edition includes examples across a range of legal topics both in the UK and internationally. Each topic is comprehensively covered with an outline of the legal framework, background context and practical examples included. Key topics addressed include
• library law;• copyright;• legal deposit;• breach of confidence;• contracts and licensing agreements;• data protection;• freedom of information;• human rights;• re-use of public sector information;• defamation;• professional liability;• cybercrime and computer misuse; and• disability discrimination.
Disclaimer
List of figures and tables
List of case reports
Table of statutes, etc.
Table of cases
Abbreviations
Glossary of terms
1 General law and background
1.2 Court system
1.3 Sources of law
1.4 Legal concepts/terminology
1.5 Conclusions
References
2 Library law
2.1 Localism Act 2011
2.2 Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
2.3 Sustainable Communities Act 2007 and Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Act 2010
2.4 Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964
2.5 Local byelaws
2.6 Literary and Scientific Institutions Act 1854
2.7 Library Offences Act 1898
2.8 Prison service instruction: prison library service
2.9 School library service
2.10 Equality Act 2010 (section 149: Public sector equality duty)
References
3 Copyright
3.1 General principles
3.2 Economic and moral rights
3.3 Legislative framework
3.4 Acts permitted in relation to copyright works
3.5 Licensing
3.6 Digital copyright
3.7 Copyright clearance
3.8 Open access
3.9 Ethical and professional issues and conflicts
3.10 Further information
References
Notes
4. Legal deposit
4.1 Introduction
4.2 General principles
4.3 Enforcement
4.4 Copyright and use of legal deposit material
4.5 Online defamation
4.6 The future
4.7 Further information
References
5 Breach of confidence
5.1 General principles
5.2 Obligation of confidence and the Freedom of Information Act
5.3 Remedies
5.4 Trade secrets
5.5 Case law on breach of confidence
References
6 Contracts and licensing agreements
6.1 General principles
6.2 Negotiating licences
6.3 Consortia and standard licences
6.4 Technology solutions
6.5 Use of passwords for licensed products
6.6 Further information
References
7 Data protection
7.1 Introduction
7.2 General principles
7.3 The six data protection principles
7.4 Accountability
7.5 Processing of personal data
7.6 Exemptions
7.7 Privacy notices
7.8 Register of fee payers
7.9 Rights of the data subject
7.10 Data breaches
7.11 Data protection impact assessments
7.12 Fines and prosecutions
7.13 Data protection issues for libraries
7.14 Data protection standards
7.15 How to protect your information
7.16 Identity theft
7.17 Further information
References
8. Privacy
8.1 General principles
8.2 Obligation of confidence v. breach of privacy
8.3 Codes of practice
8.4 Injunctions
8.5 Privacy and libraries
8.6 Case law
8.7 Further information
References
9 Freedom of information
9.1 General principles of freedom of information
9.2 The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
9.3 Publication schemes
9.4 Datasets
9.5 Copyright implications of the FOIA
9.6 Freedom of information and library and information professionals
9.7 Freedom of information rights and request procedures
9.8 Exemptions and appeals
9.9 Enforcement
9.10 The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR)
9.11 Freedom of information in Scotland
9.12 Freedom of information and data protection
9.13 European Union documents
9.14 Further information and keeping up to date
References
10 Human rights
10.1 General principles
10.2 Human rights and data protection
10.3 Human rights and breach of confidence
10.4 Human rights and copyright
10.5 Human rights and freedom of expression
10.6 Summary
10.7 Further information
References
11 Re-use of public sector information
11.1 Background
11.2 General principles
11.3 Public task
11.4 UK government licensing framework
11.5 Right to data
11.6 Charging
11.7 Complaints procedure
11.8 Further information
References
12 Defamation
12.1 Introduction
12.2 General principles
12.3 Slander
12.4 Libel
12.5 Defences to libel
12.6 Remedies
12.7 Defamation and the internet
12.8 Checklist
References
Notes
13 Professional liability
13.1 General principles
13.2 Contract
13.3 Tort (delict in Scotland)
13.4 Liability and electronic information
13.5 Liability for copyright infringement
13.6 Risk management
13.7 Indemnity and insurance
References
14 Cybersecurity and cybercrime
14.1 Background
14.2 Cybersecurity and cyber essentials
14.3 Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime
14.4 The Computer Misuse Act 1990
14.5 The Network and Information Systems Regulations
14.6 Hacking
14.7 Viruses, worms and Trojans
14.8 Intellectual property infringement
14.9 Pornography
14.10 Fraud
14.11 Denial of service attacks
14.12 Acceptable use policies
14.13 Communications Act 2003
References
15 Disability discrimination
15.1 General principles
15.2 Copyright and the disability exceptions
15.3 The Right to Read
15.4 Website accessibility
15.5 Further information
References
16 Other legal issues relevant to librarians
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Police surveillance and libraries
16.3 Cloud computing
16.4 Stocking extremist/controversial literature
16.5 Censorship
16.6 Theft or mutilation of rare books
16.7 Lending of audio books and e-books
16.8 Further information
Prise for the third edition
"Since the first edition was published in 2003 this has been one of the most essential books on my shelf...If you only purchase one book on law for information professionals, let it be this one...Highly recommended."
— The Electronic Library
"Essential Law is just that – essential reading for any information professional, particularly those with responsibility for compliance in areas such as copyright."
— CILIP CLSIG Journal