Associate Professor

Research Interests

The ultimate goal of Sara Benson's research agenda is to shape the future of copyright policy by examining both on-the-ground practice in libraries and museums as well as the socio-political guiding principles behind such practices.  

Additional Campus Affiliations

Copyright Librarian, University Library
Associate Professor, University Library
Associate Professor, School of Information Sciences
Affiliate, Siebel Center for Design

Recent Publications

Benson, S. R., Ocepek, M., & Cheng, S. (2026). Protecting Indigenous cultural heritage across borders: A Delphi study of international Traditional Cultural Expression laws. IFLA Journal, 52(2), 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352251321191

Cheng, S., Trei, K. J., & Benson, S. R. (2026). Bridging patent education and academic librarianship: A qualitative study of STEM undergraduate majors' patent knowledge and learning experiences. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 52(4), Article 103270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2026.103270

Cheng, S., Benson, S. R., & Ocepek, M. G. (2026). Legal protections for traditional cultural expressions: An exploratory review of literature. Information Research, 31(1), 150-168. https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31144767

Benson, S., Myers, C., Neal, J. G., & Vollmer, T. (2025). Contract Override: The Hidden Copyright Issue in Electronic Licensing. In R. Pun, S. Durney, & T. Anantachai (Eds.), Legislative Advocacy and Public Policy Work for Academic and Research Library Workers: Perspectives and Strategies Association of College and Research Libraries. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/97t224bx

Trei, K., Benson, S. R., & Cheng, S. (2025). A Qualitative Study of STEM Graduate Majors’ Copyright Knowledge and Educational Experiences. Portal, 25(2), 389-408. https://doi.org/10.1353/PLA.2025.A955951

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