Copyright Literacy in Spanish Library and Information Sciences (LIS) students

Abstract

Copyright literacy in Spanish Library and Information Sciences (LIS) students was studied using a web survey as part of a multinational research project. The study focused on their knowledge, opinions and experiences with various aspects of copyright and intellectual property legislation and training. Results show that Spanish students are familiar with copyright and related laws at the national level, as well as with Creative Commons Licenses. However, most of respondents were very unfamiliar with topics related to the protection of rights in the digital environment and international copyright issues. Therefore, there is a need to increase information and knowledge of copyright issues in the LIS curricula, since copyright issues are already, and will continue to be in the future, a relevant part of information professionals' expertise.