The aim was to explore the issues related to acquiring copyright permission with the goal of determining effectiveness and efficiency using the least complex process.
A random sample of books was chosen, relevant information was recorded, request letters were sent and tracked, and results (permission received or denied) were analyzed with respect to publisher, publication data, time required, and issues related to the process.
About 52 percent responded with a yes or no with 24 percent yes responses. Nearly 25 percent never responded, addresses were not found for about 16 percent, approximately 7 percent were too complicated to pursue and response time averaged about three months.
Results were affected by the limited staff time available to work on the project, the many changes in staff, and the sometimes lengthy time between follow‐ups.
The low rate of positive responses indicates the need to focus on publications and publishers most likely to provide permission: older and out‐of‐print materials, non‐commercial publishers, special collections, while using designated staff and personal contact to improve effectiveness.
Few previous studies exist in this area. This study might benefit other libraries with respect to planning, defining procedures, and improving results.
