Tips and Tricks for Database and Subscription Agreements

Stephanie “Cole” Adams will give a presentation on Tips and Tricks for Database and Subscription Agreements at the Capital District Library Council Resource Sharing Symposium, to be held Wednesday, April 22, 2020. The full-day symposium covers other topics relevant to library professionals and break-out sessions and Q&A also led by Adams. The cost is $30. For more information, visit the Capital District Library Council website at https://www.cdlc.org/index.php.

https://cdlc.libcal.com/calendar/cdlc-workshops/ResourceSharing2020

Human Resource Law from A to Z

Stephanie “Cole” Adams is speaking at this two-day seminar worth up to 14 continuing education credits for attorneys and accountants. Participants will get caught up on all aspects of human resources law, including tax reform, Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, reasonable accommodations, and more.

The seminar will be held in downtown Buffalo, March 3 and 4, at the Hilton Garden Inn. For more information, visit the National Business Institute’s website at https://www.nbi-sems.com/.

The Law(s) of Managing Digital Assets

Stephanie “Cole” Adams and Of Counsel attorney Sallie Randolph presented a program hosted by the Empire State Library Network at the annual New York Library Association conference, held November 5, 2019.

Cole, and Sallie, who focuses her practice on publishing law, discussed and debated key concepts and answered questions regarding fair use, copyright, contracts, and other legal aspects of digital assets.

Watch this space, scrlc.org, and https://www.nyla.org/ for future events — plans are already underway for the 2020 conference.

Copyright Boot Camp for Librarians

Stephanie “Cole” Adams presented at this workshop organized by the Western New York Library Resources Council, held on October 25, 2019.

Attendees learned the fundamentals of copyright, explored the copyright laws specifically pertaining to libraries and archives, considered copyright issues related to streaming, digitization, ADA accommodations, and discussed practical tips for negotiating content licenses.

Watch wnylrc.org as well as this space for future workshops!

2019 Green Code Platform

2019 Green Code Platform 

Each councilmember will be asked to commit to supporting:

 PLANK 1: The Councilmember commits to uphold the City of Buffalo Comprehensive Plan and the spirit and intent of the Green Code.

PLANK 2: The Councilmember will work with developers to send at least three week’s written notice to Block Clubs and community organizations within their district, and within 4 blocks of any project requiring a variance or major site plan review.

PLANK 3: The Councilmember commits to not announcing support of projects until the developers have conducted a well-advertised, open “listening session” with impacted neighbors and community organizations.

PLANK 4: The Councilmember will support requests to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board to revise their routine meeting scripts to include introductions of each member, a review and explanation of agenda items,

PLANK 5: The Councilmember will support larger and more accessible space for Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board meetings.

PLANK 6: The Councilmember will champion a requirement that recordings of ZBA and Planning Board meetings be posted within 24 hours of the meeting, ending the needed to make time-consuming FOIL requests for public proceedings open to the public.

PLANK 7: The Councilmember will support the creation of a “Buffalo Neighborhood Development Advocate” to assist residents with understanding proposed developments, and with conveying questions and concerns to appropriate authorities, in a timely manner.

Heading South for Copyrights

In April, the LOSA heads to Highland, NY to talk about libraries and law.

Does your library fall under Section 108’s exemption from copyright infringement? Is it set up to fully protect circulation records from third party requests? Do you need a few tips to feel confident about your next database license? On April 25, 2019, LOSA lead attorney Stephanie Adams will present an in-depth, hands-on workshop on maximizing a library's rights under the copyright law, responding to subpoenas for library records, and negotiating common contracts.

More information and registration are here.

Practice Breathing

This Saturday our beautiful space will be the place to how simple wellness techniques can contribute to a client-oriented and ethical practice.

LOSA attorneys Stephanie Adams and Jessica Keltz will work with certified yoga instructor Kelly Tripp to combine 1 hours of Ethics and 1 hour of Practice CLE credit with an array of accessible, gentle yoga.

Open to and health for all. For more information, or to register, visit:

http://www.wbasnywny.org/wellness-cle

Ethics Through Wellness

The LOSA wishes you a joyous and strong New Year.

To kick off 2019, on January 12th, the law office will host an event on two topics we’re really passionate about: ethics, and self-care.

This 2.5-hour workshop will teach attorneys to use simple, accessible yoga techniques to combat the stress and lack of focus that can cause ethics problems and professional burnout.

Led by certified (and awesome) yoga instructor Kelly Tripp, we’ll explore techniques for connecting to the moment, confronting difficult truths, and moving through stressful times.

With attendees practicing these simple techniques right on the spot, LOSA Attorneys Stephanie Adams and Jessica Keltz will take the group through recent ethics decisions from the NYSBA.

Sponsored by the Women’s Bar Association, but open (and valuable) to all genders.

Attendees should wear comfortable and moveable clothes. To register, visit:

http://www.wbasnywny.org/wellness-cle

Copyright Infringement Case? Playing Defense at the LOSA

LOSA lead attorney Stephanie Adams has a history of defending those accused of stealing access to entertainment content. In the mid 2000’s, she defended numerous people accused of stealing content from DirecTV and the RIAA. Although the tactics of the plaintiffs were the same (sue and see what sticks!), each case was unique, and required careful collaboration with the client.

If you have been accused of misappropriating content, you can consult with Stephanie Adams to explore your options.

A bit of free guidance: if you get a subpoena or are served with a lawsuit, yes, you’ll be upset, but don’t post about it on social media! And don’t ask your family members and friends if they were watching porn on our account. Just keep calm, comparison shop for a lawyer, and discuss it when you are assured of attorney-client privilege.

Up the Librarians!

Our recent post to the Western New York Library Resource Council’s “Ask the Lawyer” service is about respecting librarians’ role on the front lines of copyright. An excerpt is below; find the rest here.

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MEMBER QUESTION

We are finding that librarians within larger institutions (like colleges and museums) are the go-to resource for copyright questions, which could also include institutional copyright concerns.  What should a librarian do if the "question" they are presented with is really an allegation of copyright infringement?

WNYLRC ATTORNEY’S RESPONSE

“Ask The Lawyer” has touched on this topic a bit before.  In our a 9/19/17 RAQ post “Skating the Line Between Helpful Information and Legal Advice,” we discussed the risks posed when patrons and co-workers confuse the helpful attitude and boundless information provided by librarians with legal services. 

The bottom line from that guidance was:

When [asked for legal advice], librarians must emphasize the boundary between good service and legal advice.  Here is a formula for that:

I [the librarian] provide access to library materials based on the law and policy of my profession and institution; you [the user] should consult your own attorney regarding any legal concerns about your use of the materials being provided. 

The current question takes this issue one step further: what if, when asked to play this front-lines role, the librarian is alerted to a potential claim of infringement against their institution?