[ILL-L] Adding scanned theses/dissertations to local e-collections/Copyright?

[Atkins, David P]

Hey all,

We are going to start re-using PDF ILL scans of some old, paper-only
theses.  We'd like to add them to our ETD collections.

The scanning and cataloging part is not a question.  It's the copyright
workflow that's a bit of a head scratcher.  The question is how does an
institution identify a thesis as a candidate for adding to a local
e-collection?

Has anyone already invented this wheel?  Devising workflows or questions
to ask in determining if an institution is within copyright to publish a
pdf version of a paper thesis?

Thanks,
David

David P. Atkins
Head, Resource Sharing/Document Delivery
John C. Hodges Library
datkins at utk.edu
The University of Tennessee
(865)974-6866
Knoxville, Tennessee  37996                               fax
(865)974-2708