Book industry orgs endorse Jolly Postman agreement

The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA), Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Australian Publishers Association (APA) and Australian Society of Authors (ASA) have endorsed an industry agreement which enables libraries to photocopy the removable inserts of children’s activity picture books.

The agreement, named for the iconic 1986 interactive picture book The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, allows libraries to copy the removable inserts of children’s picture and activity books, removing doubt about whether libraries can continue lending books after copying their removable parts.

The APA, ALIA and ASA said in joint statement: ‘Enjoyment of activity picture books relies on the inserts being available to every reader. To facilitate this, it is the policy of the APA and ASA that their members allow libraries to copy the inserts and replace them as needed during the borrowing life of the book, without the need for specific permission or additional payment to the copyright owner.’

This agreement follows on from an earlier agreement about the use of images of book covers by libraries to promote programs and collections.

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