Abstract
As both users of and creators of copyrighted works, students must have a basic understanding of the principles regarding intellectual property. The chances of online students infringing copyright are greater simply because of the venue--nearly every activity has copyright considerations. Students need to take full advantage of the privileges copyright affords, yet realize the limitations of use. This article outlines the avenues of acceptable use of copyrighted works, defines key differences between copyright and plagiarism, and asserts the importance of librarians to provide guidance and education on these issues.

Jackie is Reference Librarian/Centers Liaison at Buena Vista University in Iowa. Since 2003, she has been the primary contact person to off-campus students at the university’s 15 centers, and more recently, to online students. She organized a campus committee which wrote a copyright policy for the University -- part of the effort to comply with the TEACH Act. For several years prior, she provided support to remote learners by traveling to different sites to conduct workshops. In addition she has recently taken several online courses to expand her knowledge of copyright issues.

Buena Vista University has 3, 500 students.