Many of you YA librarians probably know that the movie version of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight will be released on March 21, 2009. And lots of you are probably planning on hosting Teen Movie Night screenings of the film. If you’re responsible for organizing the event at your library, here’s a piece of information to consider. Twilight was produced by Summit Entertainment, a fledgling studio which is NOT covered by many (probably any) of the blanket public performance licenses most of us hold.

I called the movie licensing company my library uses and asked them to clarify my options. Although Twilight is not covered by our annual site license, which allows us to show many other popular films, a one-time performance license can be purchased. The cost of the license may vary depending on the size of the population your library serves. (My total bill for a one-time screening was less than $100.00.)

During my conversation with the representative from the licensing company, she noted that they are aware of the fact that many public libraries are planning on screening Twilight without paying the proper fee. They are taking steps to notify their clients and identify possible offenders (by Googling for announcements on library web sites!). What are the odds they will catch up with you? Who knows! I did promise to spread the word with as many librarians as possible, so please think about checking the fine print of your own licenses before you plan your events.