<< I believe
the copyright law allows one to make one copy for educational purposes,
i.e. for use in the classroom, but that is further qualified so that
you may not make multiple copies for distribution in class or copy an
entire book. Also, as I read the copyright law, any image prior to
1921, is in the public domain. >>
Copyright law is not necessarily the same in all countries, although there
are international conventions.
Here in the UK, although it would be ok to make copies of small parts of any
work for personal use, this would not I think cover any use connected with
your employment (such as for teaching purposes.) Colleges here do have
agreements (at a cost) with the copyright licensing body to make copies for
educational use under certain strict conditions.
I am told that these do not allow any digital copying. I am also told that
it may be that the copying of a whole picture or illustration might be a
breach of copyright even though the copying of the text was permitted as the
copyrights are often held by different bodies.
So far as historical material is concerned, you are only safe to assume you
can copy it if:
(i) the author (photographer etc) has been dead 70 years
and
(ii) assuming you are copying a reproduction, if the work containing it was
also published long enough ago to be out of copyright.
US law may of course be different.
Peter Marshall
petermarshall@cix.compulink.co.uk