NYPL Digital Gallery Open to Public

mountiealpha writes "The New York Public Library has digitized over 275,000 images from their colletions, and made them freely available available online. The 'NYPL Digital Gallery provides access to over 275,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more.'" Update: 03/04 17:30 GMT by Z : They're updating the site to handle high traffic volumes, but there is an informational page available with details on the site.

Comments

Library piracy?

[dmf415]

Seems that Libraries have to follow certain guidlines in order to make these electronic reproductions.

Copyright Issues for Libraries When Digitizing Materials for the Web
When digitizing documents or other objects to be made available on the World Wide Web, a library first needs to determine whether the item is protected by copyright or whether it is in the public domain. If the material is protected by copyright, the library will need to obtain permission from the copyright owner before making the digitized copy available through the World Wide Web. If the item is in the public domain, the library does not need permission to digitize it and make it available.

more here:
http://www.mlcnet.org/services/copydigitize .php

Re:Library piracy?

[metlin]

Yeah, usually libraries have different ways of handling IP. Even state sponsored libraries have differences in the way they handle such material.

For instance, Georgia Tech's library is federally funded, but they do not allow everyone to access the digital copies of things such as journals and the like - only students, researchers & faculty.

This, despite the fact that the material can only be accessed from within the campus (or from outside if you have a GTech id, but then if you do have one you're part of the school anyway).

That brings to mind another question - are these images public domain or what? What about the way you use them?

Re:What License?

[tmasssey]

From a look over the summary info, it seems that these are all works for which their copyright has expired (e.g.: public domain). No license is needed.

They have had some photos online for years

[glomph]

Like my favorites, the Lewis Hine photos of the Depression-Era construction of the Empire State Building. Anybody who says photography is not art should view them.
http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hi nex/empire/empire.html
Not slashdotted at the moment.

Re:They have had some photos online for years

[glomph]

Lewis Hine was truly a great American. He used his technical skill and his artistic eye to expose the awful conditions the poor and unknown lived under. Learn a tiny bit more about him at:

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_05.07.98/art/hi ne.html

Re:Why the fee for hi-res

[metlin]

While the spirit of the argument is commendable, you should remember that the library probably *paid* someone to scan the pictures, someone to write the code and someone to implement the whole system. Probably a whole lot of someones, who need pay.

Not to mention the fact that they would need money for the infrastructure, systems and running costs. Now where would they get the money for something like that from?

Most libraries have just about enough money to keep the basic stuff running, let alone spend on something like this. So, unless they receive a fat grant for doing stuff like this, there isn't really much that they can do except charge for it.

Now, fair use would grant you permission to see the low-res versions, but they have every right to charge you for the high-res particularly since they invested money in bringing it to you in the first place.

While it may be unfortunate, I can see where they are coming from. Kinda inevitable, but on the bright side you atleast have something! :-)

Re:What License?

[Kurt Gray]

It is possible the the library owns these copies of each image and you would need their permission to republish their copies of each image unless they clearly state otherwise.

I've recently dealt with getting digital copies of 1870's historical photographs from various sources including libraries, city archives, historical societies, private collectors, etc. Even though the images are very old, way beyond even a Disney copyright, but in each case each archive owns their copy of the image so you can only use a copy of their copy under their terms and conditions.