A Note From Nancy Hill, Associate Library Director for Technical Services, Head of Acquisitions:
As you and your colleagues plan your classes for the incoming semester, please keep in mind these points about films.
Feature films through our vendor, Swank, should be requested early; now would be a good time! If the film is available in Swank, it can be ready within a short time, but if Swank needs to get the rights for it and/or provide captioning, it could take up to six months to make it available.
Orders for single titles of films are discouraged. They are typically expensive, negotiation of rights often takes a long time, and many independent filmmakers don’t have ADA-compliant materials. The library does not provide captioning service and we cannot stream from another format.
The Library provides a wealth of feature films, documentaries, and performances through an excellent collection of streaming video databases. Please explore the many possibilities at the link below, and let us know if we can help in identifying appropriate materials for you.
Please see this comprehensive list of streaming video databases.
Special Feature: Swank's Interactive Platform for Teaching
A more interactive and engaging experience for students than passive viewing. Faculty can create a discussion on a film without taking away valuable class time. Promotes online collaboration and discussion in distance learning courses
- Interactive Platform features include:
- Embed questions, notes and discussion points into the streaming video platform
- Highlight a specific scene with the time-stamping tool
- Share lesson plans with other faculty members
- Attach supporting documents
- Students can respond to faculty members’ points or questions
