United States copyright law includes provisions for certain fair uses of copyrighted material, and education is one such use. However, there are no hard and fast rules that define what qualifies as fair use. When thinking about how to use copyrighted content, it can be helpful to think about the factors that the legal system would use to assess your potential fair use case, which are outlined in Title 17, section 107 of the U.S. Code (full text linked below): 

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

In general, it is best to exercise discretion when it comes to the number of copies and portion of the work used. Another option is to put the book on reserve, in either physical or electronic format (note that you cannot put a book on reserve in both formats simultaneously). If the library does not have an e-book, you can recommend that we purchase it at the link below.

To find more resources on using copyrighted material for teaching, visit the Copyright in the Classroom guide linked below. More information on course reserves is also linked below.