Rights and Permissions Guidelines
We appreciate your interest in reprinting material published by the American Library Association.
All books, journals, other publications, and materials published and disseminated in print, audiovisual, and electronic formats by ALA Publishing Services and other units of the American Library Association are protected by copyright.
Please note that we cannot offer general advice about copyright or reprint permission for non-ALA projects and publications.
Permission Waiver
Provided that proper credit is given, periodical contents (articles, reviews, columns, charts, tables, graphic material, etc.) may be quoted without specific prior permission in works of original scholarship to provide accurate citation of authority or for purposes of criticism, review or evaluation.
The above waiver of specific prior permission does not apply to quotations of entire ALA works or substantial portions thereof; e.g., whole documents, essays, journal articles, reviews, columns, charts, tables, and graphic material in print and electronic formats.
Guidelines for Fair Use of ALA Periodicals and Books in Nonprofit Educational Institutions
ALA supports the fair use of copyrighted materials for nonprofit educational purposes and follows a policy on permission that is consistent with Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act.
An article or a chapter from a book copyrighted by the American Library Association except where otherwise expressly indicated may be made available for:
- Handouts at workshops or meetings
- Internal library use
- Classroom use
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- Teachers may make a single copy of the following ALA materials for classroom use:
- A chapter from a book,
- An article from a periodical or newsletter,
- A short story, short essay or short poem, whether or not from a collective work,
- A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.
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Teachers may make multiple copies for classroom use under the following guidelines:
- Multiple copies (not to exceed one copy per pupil in a course) may be made by or for the teacher giving the course for classroom use or discussion, provided that:
- The copying meets the tests of brevity and spontaneity.
- Meets the cumulative effect test.
- Each copy includes a notice of copyright.
- Or any other educational purpose provided that it contains a proper credit notice
- Multiple copies (not to exceed one copy per pupil in a course) may be made by or for the teacher giving the course for classroom use or discussion, provided that:
- Teachers may make a single copy of the following ALA materials for classroom use:
For periodicals, the following permission/credit notice must appear on each page where our material is reprinted:
Reproduced in accordance with Fair Use provisions and thereby with the permission of the American Library Association from (title, author, periodical, issue, and lines/pages), copyright (year).
For ALA books, the following permission/credit notice must appear on each page where our material is reprinted:
Reproduced in accordance with Fair Use provisions and thereby with the permission of the American Library Association from (title) by (author); copyright (year).
When Is Written Permission Required?
If you'd like to:
- Edit or adapt our material
- Reprint more than one article from a periodical
- Reprint more than one chapter from an ALA book
- Reproduce articles, reviews, columns, charts, tables, graphic material, etc.) for other than noncommercial educational or scientific advancement
- Distribute material to a large group (more than 50 copies)
- Reprint product images or illustrations
In some cases a fee will be charged.
To request permission to reprint material, please submit the Rights and Permissions Request Form.
ALA Translation Rights
Translation opportunities exist for American Library Association publications. Reach out to Mary Jo Bolduc for more information on translations.
ALA Trademarks
The names and logos of the American Library Association, including its divisions, offices, committees, round tables, and other units may not be used without specific, written prior permission. This permission is usually granted based on a shared initiative or special relationship.
ALA Imprints
- ALA TechSource, including Library Technology Reports and Smart Libraries Newsletter
- ALA Editions
- American Libraries
- Booklist
- Book Links
ALA Division, Office, Committee, and Round Table Publications
The divisions and offices of the association publish more than three dozen journals and newsletters. For a full list of ALA periodicals, see ALA’s Index of Titles.
Copyright Resources
- US Copyright Office
- Proposed Fair Use Guidelines for Electronic Reserve Systems developed by the Conference on Fair Use (1996)
Other Resources
Writing for ALA Division journals and newsletters
Authors of articles appearing in ALA division journals and newsletters may download copyright assignments and licensing forms here.
For additional information about our permission policies please call or write:
Mary Jo Bolduc
Rights and Permissions
American Library Association
225 N. Michigan Ave
Suite 1300
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Telephone: 312 280-5416
The information contained on this Web site is intended for educational purposes and not as a substitute for legal advice from an attorney.
