This FAQ answers some commonly asked questions about the agreement authors sign to publish with ACRL. ACRL Publications is an independent entity and is not affiliated with ALA Publications. The information in this FAQ applies only to publications of ACRL. Copies of all ACRL Publications agreements are available on the ACRL Forms page.
Serial Publications (C&RL, C&RL News, RBM)
What rights does ACRL have under the author agreement?
ACRL asks authors for the non-exclusive right to print, publish, reproduce, and distribute your work both in print and online. ACRL also has the right to use your name in association with the article for advertising purposes. We do require that works not be previously published before they appear in our print serials.
What rights do I have?
A lot! After your article is published by ACRL, you are free to place a copy in your institutional repository (IR), on your personal website, or anywhere else you’d like. You also have the right to republish the work in print with another publisher as long as you cite the original ACRL publication. We’d ask that you include the original publication information on your website or in your IR as well.
Does this mean I retain copyright?
Yes, you retain copyright of your work
What about Creative Commons?
We don't require our authors to publish their works using a Creative Commons license, but unless another option is selected on the copyright forms for RBM and C&RL, reuse of the published work in those publications will be governed by a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon the Work non-commercially; although new works must acknowledge the original publication and be non-commercial, they do not have to be licensed on the same terms. Visit the Creative Commons website (http://creativecommons.org/) to learn more about their licensing options.
Book Chapters
As a chapter author of a monographic work, what is the copyright agreement I must sign?
ACRL sends an agreement to every chapter author that:
- Keeps copyright of the work in the author’s name.
- Allows authors to append a Creative Commons license of their choosing. If there is more than one author to a chapter, all authors have to be in agreement on the CC license for the chapter.
Why should I choose one Creative Commons license over another?
You can read about the different CC licenses, and how they allow readers to reuse, distribute, and adapt your content, here. You are also free to choose not to append a CC license to your chapter.
Can I place my chapter in my IR or let someone else republish it?
The agreement allows you to deposit your chapter in your Institutional Repository, as well as any analytics and bookmarking sites or reference manager programs that can track and promote your research. ACRL has right of first publication, meaning you may republish your work elsewhere only after ACRL has published it, and you must add a credit line that states that the work was originally published by ACRL and provide the citation.
Book Editors
As the editor of a monographic work, what agreement do I sign?
Book editors are sent a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) outlining expectations and rights. ACRL retains copyright of its non-serial (monographic) publications. Editors typically receive royalties of 10% on net revenues after production costs are recovered. These royalties are paid out in Spring and Fall. Editors receive five free copies of the published work.
Podcasts
What rights does ACRL have under the podcast agreement?
The license agreement for podcasts grants ACRL the non-exclusive right to print, publish, reproduce, and distribute the podcast through current or future technologies. ACRL also has the right to edit the podcast and produce derivatives. ACRL also has the right to use your name in association with the article for advertising purposes.
What rights do I have?
You have the right to republish and redistribute the podcast after it is first released by ACRL as long as you cite the original ACRL podcast.
Does this mean I retain copyright?
Yes. You retain copyright over your material in the podcast.