Please respond to the list- I'm curious as well.
The Schwenkfelder Library Heritage Center does not have a formal policy. A
photo release is included as part of any youth program registration form,
and includes parental/guardian consent for SLHC staff and the local press to
take photos and use them for publication and record. It's not required that
they sign to register for an event. 95% of the time, parents will sign their
consent so it usually is never a hindrance. We do not take pictures of
school children, or children in large groups unless we have permission from
the school's administration.
For adults, particularly for events with lots of people, we consider the
photos editorial, and leave them untagged or unidentified on Facebook,
YouTube, our website, or any other form of publication.
However, now that we have a YouTube channel, more thought has been given to
receiving written consent from adults. I am developing a photo/video release
form to hand out to all of our presenters, guest lecturers, and adult
visitors. Until now photographs from special events were taken only with
adult visitor's verbal consent or consent was received over email.
A photo/video release form from Elizabethtown College was distributed to one
of our staff members who will be speaking on campus in a few weeks and
passed it on to me as we've been discussing this topic at our institution
particularly now that we've launched a YouTube channel. Elizabethtown
College has a photo/video release form that all photographers on the
property or at their sponsored event need to have signed by the member of
the public. According to their form, the policy is not in effect when
photographs are of news events unless the image/likeness will be used for
marketing purposes. It is also not in effect if the photo is taken in a
crowd scene. The form also grants the college permission to release the
photograph to media outlets. It covers both adults and minors.
-Rebecca
Rebecca Lawrence
Museum Educator
Schwenkfelder Library Heritage Center
105 Seminary Street
Pennsburg PA 18073
(215) 679 3103
fax: 215 679 8175
http://www.schwenkfelder.com
-Original Message-
From: Eric Johnson [mailto:ejohn...@monticello.org]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 11:50 AM
To: 'Museum Computer Network Listserv'
Subject: [MCN-L] Photography releases
Hi, all--
We were curious about how people are handling a couple of
photo-release-related situations these days:
1.) Does your institution have a formal policy concerning the use of
photography of visitors for promotional purposes (i.e. marketing or
advertising)? Do you always, sometimes, never use photo releases?
2.) How do you reconcile that with the opportunities that Facebook or
other social media provides to showcase visitors or events at your
institution? Do you consider such images editorial and thus put them up
without signed releases or do you get such releases there, too?
We've been asked to gather best practices, but I'm almost more interested
in focusing not only on what other organizations do but on what the best
practices are from a legal perspective. In other words, I'm interested not
just in the letter but the spirit of the law.
Any and all thoughts on these matters are very welcome!
Thanks,
--E.
Eric D. M. Johnson
New Media Specialist
Monticello
P.O. Box 316
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 984-7570 | Fax: (434) 977-6140
http://www.monticello.org/
ejohnson at monticello.orgmailto:ejohnson at monticello.org
