Digital guide: Working with volunteers: Copyright considerations

Header image: Image by Ray Sangga Kusuma on Unsplash

Within the heritage sector, there are times when the activities that volunteers engage in will involve creating copyright works. These span from writing blogs, to taking photographs, to recording interviews for exhibitions and events.

Additionally, some day-to-day administrative work by volunteers can include copyright protected material, such as reports, that are shared on social media and elsewhere. With these varied activities happening within heritage organisations, it’s important to get a good understanding of who owns copyright and that your volunteers get the rights they need.

The guide includes:

• Digestible information on what copyright is.
• An adaptable template for organisations to use on the Deed of Assignment of Copyright (Volunteers).
• A copyrights checklist for when working with volunteers.

This guide is for any heritage organisation using volunteers and is best suited for team members who are managing or supervising volunteers.