GLC Legal and Ethical Principles 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'first sale doctrine' in copyright law allows a library to do which of the following?
- Make unlimited copies of a purchased book for circulation
- Lend or resell a lawfully purchased physical copy without permission of the copyright holder (Correct answer)
- Digitize and distribute a purchased book to all library users simultaneously
- Transfer the copyright of a purchased book to another institution
Correct answer: Lend or resell a lawfully purchased physical copy without permission of the copyright holder
The first sale doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 109) permits the owner of a lawfully purchased copy to lend or resell it without the copyright holder's permission.
Question 2: A librarian who makes a personnel decision that is influenced by a family member's friendship with one of the candidates is exhibiting what type of ethical problem?
- Confidentiality breach
- Conflict of interest (Correct answer)
- Intellectual freedom violation
- Copyright infringement
Correct answer: Conflict of interest
Allowing personal relationships to influence professional decisions constitutes a conflict of interest, which violates the ALA Code of Ethics.
Question 3: Which Georgia state agency oversees public library development, standards, and certification in Georgia?
- Georgia Department of Education
- Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) (Correct answer)
- State Library of Congress Georgia Branch
- Georgia Board of Regents
Correct answer: Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS)
Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) is the state agency responsible for public library development, certification, and the administration of state and federal library funds.
Question 4: What does 'challenged material' mean in library ethics and policy?
- A book that has been recalled by its publisher
- A formal written complaint requesting the removal or restriction of library materials (Correct answer)
- An out-of-date book flagged for weeding
- A text with disputed authorship or authenticity
Correct answer: A formal written complaint requesting the removal or restriction of library materials
A challenged material is one that has been formally challenged through a written complaint requesting its removal or restriction from the collection.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a library practice that upholds the ALA ethical principle of 'confidentiality'?
- Displaying patron checkout lists on a public board to encourage reading
- Shredding returned book slips so circulation history is not retained (Correct answer)
- Sharing overdue patron information with a local newspaper
- Providing a patron list to a book vendor for marketing purposes
Correct answer: Shredding returned book slips so circulation history is not retained
Destroying records that could identify patron reading habits is a concrete practice that protects patron confidentiality.
Question 6: Which federal law requires libraries receiving federal funding to implement policies protecting minors from online predators in addition to internet filtering?
- COPPA
- CIPA (Correct answer)
- FERPA
- CALEA
Correct answer: CIPA
CIPA requires libraries receiving E-rate or LSTA funds to have internet safety policies addressing minors' online safety, not just filtering.
Question 7: A library director creates a policy banning all materials that discuss a specific religion. This policy would most directly violate which legal standard?
- HIPAA
- The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Correct answer)
- The Lanham Act
- FERPA
Correct answer: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
A government-funded library banning materials based on religious viewpoint violates the First Amendment's protections for free speech and religious expression.
GLC Legal and Ethical Principles 5
The 'first sale doctrine' in copyright law allows a library to do which of the following?