from Critical Arts: A Journal for Cultural Studies wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/ CA/CA8.1&2.html

UCI Libraries  and HumaniTech ~  Finding DVDs,  Videos, and Films   March 15, 2004 Joan Ariel

                Librarian Contacts:

Note: Web site also available at http://course.lib.uci.edu/
 

1. UCI Libraries Media Services and Collections

Multimedia Resource Center (MRC), Langson Library, 1st floor; 949-824-7072
mrc@uci.edu

The MRC houses the Langson Library's collection of non-print media in the arts, humanities, business and management, social sciences, and government information. The Library actively collects titles that support instruction and research for the academic programs at UCI. The collection consists of over 5000 videos, including approximately 4700 videocassette titles (VHS), 200 laserdisks titles, 150 DVD titles; 350 films (16mm); 1175 sound recordings, including 1000 audiocassettes and 175 CDs; and over 500 CD-ROM titles, including data archive and government information titles. Valid UCI Library cards are required to check out all MRC materials, except for U.S. government depository CD-ROMS for which a photo-ID is required.

Media Booking Form
 
 
 
 
 
 

DVDs and Videorecordings in the MRC Collection: Title Lists

New Video Titles - Most Recent Three Months

Video Titles A-C

Video Titles D-H

Video Titles I-M

Video Titles N-S

Video Titles T-Z

Media Reserves

The MRC houses media materials selected by UCI faculty members as required or recommended viewing for their courses. MRC Course Reserves materials include videocassettes, DVDs, laserdisks, CD-ROMs, etc.

• Find media on course reserves
• MRC Course Reserves Lending Policies
• Faculty: Placing Media on Course Reserves

The MRC has the following equipment available: 1/2 inch (VHS) videocassette players/monitors; DVD players/monitors; laserdisk players/monitors; audiotape player; multi-format (SECAM, PAL) videocassette player/monitor; multi-region DVD players/monitors; CD-ROM players and slide projector. While no group viewing rooms are available in the Langson Library, a single video viewing player/monitor can accommodate up to 8 people wearing headphones at once. The MRC equipment is for use with MRC materials only. Users who need media equipment for personal, departmental or classroom use can contact the UCI Instructional Resource Center, which supplies media equipment to the campus.
 

2. Finding DVDs, Videos and Films at UCI: ANTPAC Catalog

2.1. Featured Lists: Browsing by title

New Books, Videos, E-Resources
Note: Videos on page 3.
The "New Books, Videos, E-Resources" page provides lists of newly cataloged materials in each library organized by call number. Besides new acquisitions, this page includes a title listing of the DVDs and videos in each library and a listing of newly catalogued titles for the past three (3) months from the Langson Library Multimedia Resources Center.

2.2. ANTPAC: Search strategies for media titles of interest

2.2.1. Limit to media at the outset of your search:

Select Collection: Film and Video Collection
Keyword or Subject Heading* Search

• Material type: film/video

or
• Location: Langson -- Multimedia Res Ctr

Note:

• Some libraries will lend media via interlibrary loan ILL); this is often a determination made by the media or subject  librarian, rather than the library's ILL staff.
• Among UC libraries, San Diego and Riverside are apparently the most accommodating, but other campuses (with the exception of UCLA where media is not part of the library's collections) may also lend depending on availability and local demand.
• UCI Libraries ILL service will request media from outside UC, especially if you have made advance inquiries with library that has the desired title and obtained permission to lend.
• Local public libraries are also good sources of media for classroom showings.
• If you intend to show a media title fairly frequently in your teaching, you may wish to contact your subject librarian and recommend purchase consideration (budget permitting, of course); see section #4 below.
• Questions? Contact Pamela La Zarr in Interlibrary Loan, 240 Langson Library, 824-1687.

3.1. Melvyl UC Catalog

The Melvyl Catalog database contains over 23,000,000 records, including books, periodicals or journal titles, and many other types of materials including films, videos, and DVDs. Melvyl allows you to browse records, save and mail items to your email account, set up a profile and Workspace so that you can save records and searches across sessions, and have email Updates automatically sent to you.
The Melvyl Catalog does have several component collections, but unfortunately, none of these are film/video like ANTPAC.

Search strategies for media:

• keyword search

then under Optional Limits limit to
• format: audiovisuals or motion pictures or movies or videorecordings (unfortunately, can only do one at a time except with command search, see below)

 
• command search

Keyword	WRD	wrd = afghanistan women
Subject Heading	WSU	wsu = women afghanistan
Format	WTP	wtp = av or wtp = fm or wtp = mv or wtp = vr

For example:
• wrd = afghanistan women and (wtp = av or wtp = fm or wtp = mv or wtp = vr)
• wsu = women afghanistan and (wtp = av or wtp = fm or wtp = mv or wtp = vr)

Note: subject searching in Melvyl is much more flexible than in ANTPAC; it retrieves your subject terms anywhere in the subject fields of the bibliographic record; for example, muslim women and women muslim retrieves the same result.

Search strategies for media:

3.2.1. Advanced Search

• Keyword (or subject heading if you know it) search
• Limit type to: Visual Materials (includes VHS, DVD, but also many other types of visual material, e.g., slides, filmstrips, etc.)
• Subtype limits:
•     Audience: not Juvenile
•     Content: not Fiction
•     Format: VHS (usually larger results) or DVD
3.2.3. Expert Search (like command search in Melvyl)
• Keyword = kw; Material type = mt

For example: (kw: women and kw: veil) and (mt= "vca" or mt="dvd")

3.3. Other Library Catalogs
    See the listing available on the UCI Libraries Web Site, Library Catalogs &  Library Sites
 
 

4. Identifying Films for Consideration (Preview, Rental, Library Purchase Recommendation)

Note:

• You can use the Recommend a Book Purchase link on ANTPAC to recommend media titles for purchase consideration; these will be forwarded to the appropriate subject librarian.
  Better still, contact your subject librarian directly.
• The UCI Libraries do not have funds to pay for costs incurred (e.g., shipping and handling) to preview films; consult with your department for possible support.

Multidisciplinary:

• AFI (American Film Institute) Catalog

"AFI Catalog is the ultimate national filmography documenting American films from 1893-1955 and 1961-1970. Drawing on the expertise of specialist staff at the American Film Institute (AFI), it is a key resource for any institution, media body or library that is involved with the research, study and teaching of film."
 
• DocuSeek Film & Video Finder

DocuSeek is a search site for independent documentary, social issue, and educational videos available in the U.S. and Canada. DocuSeek allows you to simultaneously search several leading film distributors' complete collections, representing the highest quality documentary and instructional media, films and videos available.
 
• The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

This popular site provides information on 250,000 films and links to some film reviews and (unofficial) box office statistics. Also a good source for information about television programs.

• Wave: Women’s Audiovisuals in English

A database maintained by the University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian's Office that lists documentary, experimental, and feature film and video productions by and about women.

Selected Distributors:

California Newsreel
"...film and video for social change since 1968."

Facets Mult-Media

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Frameline
"...mission is to support, develop, and promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer visibility through media arts."

National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA)

New Day Films

Third World Newsreel

Women Make Movies

Other vendors of possible interest (L.Tanji)
 

5. Reviews

5.1. Film Reviews (from Film Studies Subject Guide, see #6 below)

Note: Film reviews published in The New York Times and Variety (and other newspapers) are available online in full text through LexisNexis^TM Academic, but only since June 1, 1980, for The Times and April 27, 1992, for Variety. Global NewsBank (1996- ) is another good source for film reviews published in less common domestic newspapers, journals, or international publications, but also tends to work best for more recent films. For older film reviews the print indexes below are your best bet (for now) for authoritative reviews.

• Film Review Annual

Langson Library Reference: PN1995 .F465
Begun in 1984, reprints "important" reviews in their entirety from such periodicals as Monthly Film Bulletin (until 1991), The New York Times, The New York Post, The Los Angeles Times, Film Quarterly, Sight and Sound (which absorbed Monthly Film Bulletin), Variety, and, Village Voice.  As with any annual print publication, there is a lag time between theatrical release of a film and the appearance of the reviews in this source. Each issue covers films released the previous year.
Coverage: 1981 -
• The New York Times Film Reviews

Langson Library Reference: PN1995 .N4
Contains film reviews appearing in The New York Times reproduced in their entirety. Has three separate indexes: title index, personal name index, and corporate (studio name) index. Arranged by date review appeared in the newspaper; important to know the year film released.
Coverage: 1913 -
• Variety Film Reviews

Langson Library Reference: PN1995 .V34
Similar to The New York Times Film Reviews. Most recent volume (24) covers reviews from 1995-1996. More recent reviews can be found in LexisNexis^TM Academic (from July 19, 1993 in full text) or in Expanded Academic ASAP (from January 1, 1997, in full text; indexing only begins with January, 1980). (See above for search hints for Expanded Academic.)
Coverage: 1907 -1995/6
• Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Probably the most robust film site on the Web, the IMDb claims information on 250,000 films, including entries on over 900,000 individuals, of which more than 50,000 are directors.
• Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE)

One of the largest film reviews sources on the Web, the MRQE claims reviews of over 28,000 titles.

Some article databases index film and media reviews; the following is a selective list of possibilities with sample search strategies.

America: History and Life
    limit to document type media review

Ebsco Academic Search Premier (currently on TRIAL ONLY)
www.ebscohost.com
    use Advanced Search,  keyword default fields then scroll down to limit to document type Entertainment Review

Expanded Academic ASAP
    use phrase movie review in keyword search

Women's Studies International
Includes over 219,000 records drawn from a variety of essential women's studies databases, including Women Studies Abstracts (1984-present), the Women's Studies Database (1972-present; U. of Toronto), and many major bibliographies. Note: Limited number of simultaneous users; if you cannot login, try again later. Coverage: 1972 – present
 

6. Other Useful Resources

Film Studies Subject Guide
Rob Bell, UCI
 

Workshop Evaluation Form
(please submit; we encourage your suggestions for  how to improve this workshop and other workshops you would like us to offer)