Media Services - Visual Media Collections

Media Services has over 18,000 VHS and DVD titles in its collection as well as an additional 20,000+ streaming titles. All Media Services resources are cataloged in the local catalog in ALADIN: www.aladin.wrlc.org.

Media Search


Video (VHS, DVD, etc...) Sound Recordings (CD, LP, etc...)

 
 
 
 

 

New Acquisitions

Media Services maintains a list of selected recent acquisitions here.

Filmographies of Media Services Holdings

Films/videos lists by academic area
Films/videos lists by title

Filmographies are updated periodically; search the ALADIN catalog or Media Search above for up-to-date holdings information.

Feature Films

Media Services has over 8,000 domestic and international feature films in the collection. The easiest way to find a particular feature film is to do a title search in ALADIN. If you'd like to browse a list of all feature films, do a keyword search for ["feature films" and eaun]. (eaun is the cataloging code for Media Services.)

DVDs

This collection has over 10,000 DVDs. If you'd like to browse a list of all the DVD's, do a keyword search for [dvd and eaun]. (eaun is cataloging code for Media Services.)

Streaming Video in ALADIN

Several thousand videos in the ALADIN catalog are available as online streaming files for instant access. Some of these are restricted to AU ID holders and some are open access. A list of streaming video collections.

For a complete list of streaming content, search ALADIN: keyword = ["streaming video"].

Films-On-Demand

6500 educational programs available for instant viewing online by AU students and faculty.

Films-On-Demand is a state-of-the-art streaming video platform that makes it easy to incorporate educational programs from Films Media Group (FMG) into content management systems, online lesson plans, and distance learning courseware. The database currently contains about 6500 videos and FMG has been adding about 600 new titles per year. Nearly every FMG title available on the Films.com website can be accessed instantly.

The FMG catalog is strong in the areas of humanities and social sciences, business and economics, science and mathematics, health and medicine, archival films, and WWII-era United News newsreels.

How to access:
1. To search or browse the collection, look for Films On Demand on the alphabetical list of databases.
2. All titles are cataloged in ALADIN. They can be searched by title or, if you are looking for a specific topic, by keyword. For a browse-able list of all titles, search keyword ["films on demand"]

Incorporating Films-On-Demand into a Blackboard course:
At the bottom of each streaming video webpage, you will see "Title URL". This is the link you should copy to add to your Blackboard page or to another webpage or email. It's a permanent address that will first check that the user is authorized to access a video. If offsite, the user will be prompted to login to ALADIN.

Using Films-On-Demand in the classroom:
Most videos in the database are available in up to three formats (Flash, Windows Media, and Quicktime) and up to three bitrates (300Kbps, 700Kbps, and 1.5 Mbps). For projection in a classroom, always use the highest bitrate available for the best resolution. NOTE: because of the file compression that's necessary to smoothly stream videos over the internet, the video quality will not be as sharp as what one sees when viewing a DVD.

Home Use Collection

Approximately 7,000 of the feature films in the collection have been cataloged for home use and may be circulated to AU students and staff on a three day loan. The primary mission of Media Services is to support teaching faculty and their course development, so some feature film titles acquired specifically for class use are not designated for home use. Titles reserved at any time during the semester for class use and other high use items will not be circulated for home use; these items may only be viewed in Media Services.

Finding Home Use Titles:

The following guidelines and restrictions apply to Home Use:

  1. Titles from the Home Use Collection may be borrowed by AU students and staff on a three day loan and may not be renewed.
  2. Eligible titles are listed in ALADIN with call numbers beginning with "HOME USE COLLECTION". However, some of these items may be temporarily restricted from home use if they are being used to support curricular activities.
  3. No more than two titles at a time may circulate to an individual.
  4. Items must be returned directly to the Media Services Desk. They may not be returned to the Circulation Desk or the overnight book drop on the first floor.
  5. Checked-out items may not be placed on hold.
  6. A subset of Home Use are designated with an "*". These are always available for 3 day loan and can not be reserved for class use.
  7. Overdue fines of $1.20 per day will be charged for late returns; there is no grace period.

Sound Effects and Music Effects Collections

Greg Smith Sound Effects Collection
A collection of 2000 sound effects tracks recorded by producer Greg Smith during his 20 year career in the film and television industry. Available online.

Media Services has a number of sound effects collections on CD, containing hundreds of sound effects. Additionally, the Canary Collection contains over 70 CDs of musical effects. They are all useful for enhancing student projects, films, and presentations. Up to six CDs at a time can be checked out of the library for three hours for AU student production work.

You can search these indexes online.

Another resource for multimedia projects is Pump Audio (www.pumpaudio.com). This site allows you to search through thousands of original music cues and tracks by independent artists. You can choose from lyric or instrumental compositions, in addition to searching by tempo, mood and genre. For a fee, you can license these tracks in perpetuity for your video or audio project.

Faculty Personal Reserves

American University faculty members are welcome to bring in their own media materials and place them on reserve in the Media Services Department. Students will have access to these materials but they will be restricted to in-house use. See Faculty Services.

Laserdiscs, multimedia CD-ROMS

Laserdiscs and CD-ROMs are moribund formats and no longer acquired. Media Services maintains its current holdings of both these formats as well as suitable playback equipment. All titles on these formats are listed in ALADIN.

WAMU Archives

Media Services has audiotapes of the Diane Rehm Show and The Kojo Nnamdi Show, formerly The Derek McGinty Show and Public Interest. Audiotapes may be checked out of the library by AU faculty. Students and other patrons may use audiotapes on site. If you are interested in listening to any of the programs or perusing the subject/speaker index, please ask at the Media Services desk.

Diane Rehm Show March 1993 to Aptil 2006
Audiotapes are located in off-site storage. Tapes may be requested at the Media Services desk and are available within 48 hours.

The WAMU website (www.wamu.org/programs/dr/archives/) has descriptions/guest lists of these shows from January 2002 to present. Shows from January 2002 to present may be heard online in streaming format.

Derek McGinty/Public Interest/Kojo Nnamdi Show January 1993 to April 2006
Audiotapes are located in off-site storage. Tapes may be requested at the Media Services desk and are available within 48 hours.

The WAMU website (www.wamu.org/programs/kn/archives/) has descriptions/guest lists of these shows from January 2002 to present. Shows from January 2002 to present may be heard online in streaming format.

The public may order cassette tapes or CDs of any Diane Rehm Show or The Kojo Nnamdi Show directly from WAMU. They may do this through the WAMU website (www.wamu.org) by going to the specific, and then to the archive or by calling (202) 885-1220.

Dialogue Archives

Dialogue is a weekly radio program produced by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in association with Radio Smithsonian. Host George Liston Seay interviews scholars, authors, and public figures on issues and ideas in national and international affairs, history and culture. Media Services keeps an audiotape/compact disc archive of the series that contains programming since October 1988. If you are interested in listening to any of the programs or perusing the subject/speaker index, please ask at the Media Services desk.

The Woodrow Wilson Center also maintains a Dialogue website for additional information