School librarians work with a variety of individuals; the largest groups are usually made up of students (most often K-12, but perhaps also preschoolers), teachers, and administrators. However, it is also possible that school staff, students' parents and guardians, and even the community at large might participate in school library functions and activities, as well as use its facilities and access information in library materials in digital, analog, or print forms. Copyright may come into play when any one of these groups uses materials that they themselves did not create or from which they do not have permission to "borrow" text, images, video, etc. For the purposes of this article, the author will focus on student and faculty borrowing from copyrighted materials in the United States and on the school librarian's response to such use. Additionally, working with creators of original work will be addressed. This article provides important definitions and scenarios illustrating some of the most important copyright concepts for the school librarian. For some, this article may provide new information. For others, these scenarios can serve as a review of dos and don'ts. The author has also included some ways to use the law as a friend, rather than as the hindrance it sometimes seems to be.