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Instructor Copyright Guide

Sharing electronic resources

VIU Library subscribes to a wide range of electronic resources, including: 

  • online articles within journals
  • databases
  • e-books
  • streaming films

Use of these materials is governed by license agreements with content providers. The license agreement outlines all the appropriate and legal uses of the content within that electronic resource. License agreements take precedence over legislative allowances, such as fair dealing.

Use the sections below to find permitted uses for: 

Note: the terms of license agreements vary widely. Always check the license agreements for permitted uses before using an electronic resource. We recommend sharing Stable Links of electronic resources on VIULearn, with the exception of Harvard Business Review. The stable links will allow students to sign-in and access needed resources. 

Articles / Journals: Finding permitted uses

Find license information for journals:

  1. Click on the Journals at VIU Library
  2. Search the title of the journal in question
  3. Click on the "Terms of Use" link beside the name of the title or there will be an indication that the journal is Open Access (OA). Here you will find the permitted and not permitted uses for the journal. 
  4. If your journal does not have a "Terms of Use" link or OA logo, your search will reveal which databases the journal is in
  5. If there are no permitted uses for the database listed, please reach out to either the Copyright Office, your Liaison Librarian, or Research.Help@viu.ca

Note: the journal may be hosted in more than one database, each with different permitted uses. Please ensure the version you are using comes from the correct database. 

Databases (ebooks, streaming): Finding permitted uses

Find license information for databases (ebooks and streaming files):​

  1. Click on the A-Z Databases Search
  2. Search the name of the database (e.g., Audio Cine Film, EBSCO eBook Collections, etc.)
  3. Click on the 'Permitted Use for this Database' section below the database's title. Here you will find the permitted and not permitted uses for the database.
  4. Should there not be permitted uses listed, please reach out to either the Copyright Office, your Liaison Librarian, or Research.Help@viu.ca

Do you have questions? Want to learn more? Contact the Copyright Office

The information on this website is provided as guidance for educational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. 

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