Re: What constitutes a reasonable search

Gary Handman (ghandman@library.berkeley.edu)
Wed, 23 Oct 2002 08:29:17 -0700 (PDT)

I think this definition of reasonable is reasonable (even beyond
reasonable). Except for the letter (I say the hell with it) it's pretty
much what we do here. I also think documenting the attempt on paper before
making the copy is a good idea. I think I may have said earlier that we
include a note in our local cataloging records indicating that it is a
preservation copy of an out-of-distribution title. We do not include a
record for the copy in OCLC.

Gary

At 07:15 PM 10/22/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>OK... so in our discussion of the US Copyright law allowing libraries to
>copy a film/video under certain circumstances the question arose about what
>constitutes a "reasonable search" for an unused copy.
>
>This sounds like a good question to post to this discussion list for
>comment.
>
>I suggest that a reasonable search would include (but not necessarily be
>limited to):
>
>1) checking the standard resources: Variety Video Directory, Video Source
>Book, Books in Print (lists videos now),
>
>2) An OCLC search for alternate distributors
>
>3) Searching the large distributors' web/catalogs (Facets, Filmmakers
>Library, Women Make Movies, First Run Icarus, etc.)
>
>4) A letter to the last known address of the last know distributor
>
>5) Attempted phone calls to the last known telephone number of the last
>known distributor
>
>6) A posting to this discussion list (VideoLib) asking for information from
>others.....
>
>
>What other approaches would constitute a reasonable effort?
>
>
>
>deg farrelly, Associate Librarian
>Media/Communications Studies/Women's Studies
>Arizona State University West
>P.O. Box 37100
>Phoenix, Arizona 85069-7100
>Phone: 602.543.8522
>Email: deg@asu.edu
>

Gary Handman
Director
Media Resources Center
Moffitt Library
UC Berkeley
ghandman@library.berkeley.edu
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC