This monograph presents examples of typical public school situations involving copyright issues; the advice provided is based on a conservative interpretation of the copyright law. The following topics are discussed: history and liability; fair use; print materials; audiovisual works; computer software; interlibrary loan, photocopying, facsimile, and document delivery; permissions (copyright versus contract); implications for administrators; and the importance of a copyright policy. Appendices include the Middletown Independent School District Copyright Compliance Agreement; copyright "dos and don'ts" for school librarians; useful sources of information; copyright warning notices; copyright policy; and copyright and plagiarism guidelines for students. A copyright question and answer section is also provided. (Contains 21 references.) (AEF)