When I teach, I often want to use supplemental material (or even need to because the text I use doesn’t cover something). What guidelines must I follow to ensure I’m not violating copyright? If it’s just a section of a text, can I copy it and hand it out? If it’s an article from the library can I copy it and hand it out? Must I get written permission from the publisher or is there ever an “intellectual merit – sharing knowledge for the greater good” domain? I feel like I teach my students not to plagiarize, but am afraid I am probably guilty of doing it myself . . .

Here’s my response:

Oh, my goodness. This is a VERY good question and smart to ask.

I noodled around on the internet looking for some good answers and this site seems to spell it out well:

http://www.umuc.edu/library/copy.shtml

For example:

When is Permission Required?

• When you intend to use the materials for commercial purposes.

• When you want to use the materials repeatedly.

• When you want to use a work in its entirety and it is longer than 2,500 words.

I know when I was a faculty member, I could put something in the library on reserve for students to read but only for one semester. And if it was in a course packet (like a whole article that was included), I needed to get permission. There is a copyright clearinghouse that most journals have gone to so it’s easy and usually I never had to pay anything. The only time I had to pay was if I was copying a chapter from a book and then that was about $50 – I think I had to do that once. I think this is the service (I remember it was CCC: http://www.copyright.com/)

Fair use is a big term in copyright law. And teachers, in particular, have assumed that fair use meant they could do anything almost…and that got some people into trouble.

When you find a good article in the newspaper and copy it because it’s current and you bring that in, you’re fine (citing the source, etc.). If it’s a segment from someone else’s book, you may need to look into it further.

We all need to be smart about this, especially when we are teaching and trying to model it for our students!!

Is that true and should you worry about that?

No.  No need to worry about this.  The reality is that 1 out of 1000 (or more) times, you might need it again. But unless the item will actually change your life, then I recommend getting rid of it. However….

If you are so hung up with the thought of ‘But I might need this again…’ that you can’t even move forward on your journey toward clutter-freedom, then you should have a container labeled “But I Might.”

“But I might…” Let’s think about what this container is for. It is usually some kind of box that you label with the date one year hence. Remember – if you don’t need this box, then don’t create it. Sometimes I will tell people that it’s for the “scaredy-cats.” With that being said, if you decide to use this box, here’s how to use it:

1. Mark the box with a date that is one year from the day you are doing your de-cluttering.
2. Put everything in that box that you think, ‘But I might…’ (although PLEASE don’t use it as a catch-all to avoid making the decisions you need to be making).
3. When you are finished with your de-cluttering project, put the box away…and by ‘away,’ I mean AWAY! Put it in the attic, basement, storage shed, or somewhere else that it is not in the way.
4. Then, if the next time you see that box and the date has passed (which means you haven’t had to dig into it for at least a year), then toss it – without looking in it!

Here are the kinds of items that might go into the “But I might…” container:

• A unit on the eyeball that you used to love to teach but is no longer in your grade’s curriculum,
• Several letters from a student’s mother,
• Transparencies that are now redone as PowerPoint slides on your laptop,
• All the data from your dissertation (which you’ve been keeping “just in case” the university contacts you to “prove” you did your study; your doctorate was granted 9 years ago),
• Other such paraphernalia.

As mentioned earlier in the post, if you don’t need this box, then don’t create it. Many people, once they begin de-cluttering, realize that their fear of “well, I just might need this” is an absurd fear and is holding them back from tossing. Get moving and get closer to ‘clutter-freedom.’

And you are invited to access the free full-color Special Report, *Rid Your Office (and/or Your Classroom) to Increase Your Sense of Peaceful Productivity,* by going to ** http://meggin.com/downloads.php where you can download it.

This Special Report will give you (and others with whom you work) suggestions and motivation to start de-cluttering your workspace (and even your home).

© 2009 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin works with those who want to know, feel, dream, and do more – and who want to do so with clarity, conviction, and consciousness. It’s a blast. Learn more at http://www.meggin.com

The tendency that most people have when they are de-cluttering (which is a task they may have postponed for awhile) is to go “do” whatever it is that they think of when the idea occurs. Sometimes this is because of the fear that they will forget and other times, it’s a prime way to procrastinate the continuation of their ‘clearing out the ___’ project. By having a pad for your list nearby, you can capture the idea on paper – knowing you won’t lose the idea – and then you can keep working on your project. This list helps you avoid jumping up to “self-interrupt” by making a call, running to the store, going to ask someone a question, etc. Be honest. You’ve done this before (I know I have, too!)

Here’s how to use your list:

Capture any random, unconnected idea you have. It’s amazing how the activity of tossing, sifting, sorting, and deciding frees up all kinds of interesting thoughts and ideas. Don’t let them get away – but also, don’t let yourself get distracted from your main goal, which is to rid your workspace of the clutter that is preventing your peaceful, predictable productivity.

Here are examples of how your list will be used – and how it helps you stay focused:

• You’re cleaning off your bookshelves and realize you don’t have enough bookends. Write ‘buy bookends’ or ‘ask assistant to order bookends this week.’
• You’re going through a closet and find one really good box for keeping your gloves in, but know that you’d like one just like it for your scarves. Write “Go to store and get 2 more boxes with lids for scarves.’
• As you’re going through items on your desk deciding what to keep and what not to, you remember that you were supposed to follow up with someone you met last week at an event. Write “Call Francine – and her card is in my wallet.”
• When putting some clothes into the ‘give away’ bag, you decide you want to put some of your kids’ toys out for the local non-profit to also pick up. Write “Talk to the twins about donating 8 toys each (since they are 8 years old).”

The possibilities are endless…but you can see how if you stopped to take care of whatever you’ve put on your list, you’d never finish the project you started, which was getting some order back into your life.

Humans need order in their lives to function at their best. The order of our days, in many ways, gives us our images of ourselves. –Anonymous

And you are invited to access the free full-color Special Report, *Rid Your Office (and/or Your Classroom) to Increase Your Sense of Peaceful Productivity,* by going to

** http://www.meggin.com/DownloadsSpecialReports.php

where you can download it (along with some other nifty stuff, too).  This Special Report will give you (and others with whom you work) suggestions and motivation to start de-cluttering your workspace (and even your home).

© 2009 Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., The Ph.D. of Productivity(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc. works with those who want to know, feel, dream, and do more – and who want to do so with clarity, conviction, and consciousness. It’s a blast. Learn more at http://www.meggin.com