Electronic Gateway Functional Team

30 May 2005

Policy Discussions on Scanners in the Library

The Electronic Gateway Functional Team has been asked to look at the issue of scanners in the Library, but particularly in the context of the new Queen’s Learning Commons. Points of discussion include, provision of scanning services in the first place, whether or not to charge for these services, and the issue of Copyright.

Provision of Scanning Services

Stauffer Library has provided public scanning services for over 6 year, using a small (8 ½ X 11 inch) this scanner housed in the Social Science Data Centre. Patrons have used this scanner to scan transcripts, photos/images, maps, statistical tables, and books. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software came bundled with this scanner, and has seen periodic use over the years. This scanning service has not been advertised, but use has been fairly steady during term. There has been no charge for this service.

Charging for Scanning Services

Several philosophical and practical issues arise when the prospect of charging for scanning is considered. These include:

  1. Should we be charging for a service that has no significant cost to the Library (i.e. scanners are low in cost, need no toner or paper, and little servicing)?
  1. We don’t charge for use of Library ‘computer hardware’ (OPACS, Laptops, DVD players, etc.) – why should we charge for use of a scanner?
  1. If a scan is ‘bad’ (i.e. incorrect resolution, sizing, file size, etc.) how will we refund patrons? Scanning is not as straightforward as photocopying, so this promises to be a frequent scenario.
  1. If we charge for scanning, are we leaving ourselves ‘more’ vulnerable to criticism if patrons are caught scanning copyrighted material?

Copyright

According to Nick Pengelly, Queen’s Law Librarian, scanners are not covered under the CAN/COPY License agreement that deals with photocopying. Scanning of copyrighted material is not legal. We would need to post signs to clearly indicate the Library’s policy regarding scanning and Copyright.

Recommendation

The Electronic Gateway Functional Team anticipates continued and growing demand for scanning services and recommends that at least one scanner be included in the new Queen’s Learning Commons. There should be no charge for these services. A Copyright policy statement should be posted at each scanner.