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The beginning of the academic year brings new leadership of student clubs and new faculty and academic coordinators.  We thought we’d use this post to clear up some confusion about film screenings. If you are not sure whether you should acquire a license or need permission to screen a film, please contact Sue Driscoll in LIS.

• We’re a college, so the screening must be ‘educational,’ right?  So we should never need to pay a fee!

It is true that, as a college, most of our lectures and discussions are educational in nature.  However, copyright law allows only face to face interactions in a classroom setting to be exempt from licensing fees. This means that, in order to take advantage of the educational exemptions in the law and avoid paying additional fees, the film screening must take place within the context of teaching a class, to registered students, in a location that is usually used for educational activities. If the screening is advertised publicly, or shown in a public area, to people other than registered students, you have to secure rights by paying a licensing fee.

• But, what if we don’t charge admission?  Surely we don’t need to pay a fee then?

Here at Middlebury, there is no admission charged for film screenings, but in most cases, you still need to secure rights and pay a fee to show a film. The Library buys some documentaries at a higher ‘institutional rate’ and these have ‘built-in’ public performance rights. As long as we do not charge admission and limit the audience size, a group can screen these films without paying additional fees.

Each film company is unique and has different rates and requirements, so before you make the decision to show a film, please contact Sue Driscoll in LIS to determine whether or not a licensing fee will be required. She can let you know the cost ahead of time so you can work within your budget.

In keeping with the theme of of the Clifford Symposium on Creativity and Collaboration, the Dept. of Studio Art is displaying a variety of pieces in the Atrium of Davis Family Library.  The display is only in place until Monday, so stop by and see it soon!

Some new features have been added to the desktop Portal and mobile site.

- Accordion style dining menu. Based on user feedback we’ve made it easy to see the menu information all at once and to compare venues from a panel on the desktop Portal. Depending on the time of day, it defaults to expand a different meal category by default.

- Post module. This module presents avenues to post information to feeds that the Portal consumes. You are encouraged to contribute to these platforms with relevant content which will be featured in the Portal.

- GO module. This module is intended for mobile. It provides a text box for entering GO shortcuts so you are able to take advantage of GO shortcut redirection more easily on your mobile device.

Please visit: http://portal.middlebury.edu/ or http://m.middlebury.edu/ to use these features.

Many thanks to those who have provided feedback via the feedback form and those who have provided support and guidance in the development of modules for the Portal.