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For Faculty: 5 things to know about videos, your class, and the Ohio University Libraries

Sherri Saines and lorraine wochna
November 17, 2022
  1. If we own it, you can use it in class.
    1. No matter the format, a video owned by the Libraries can be shown in class or assigned as homework. "Educational use" is allowed by copyright.
  2. If we own it, you can find it in the ALICE Catalog.
    1. Search ALICE by title or try keyword or subject and limit to Format: Videos. That will reveal all the formats: streaming, DVD, VHS.
  3. You can embed a streaming video in your Blackboard so it's easier to find.
    1. OR, you can reserve a DVD for your class time (and a peripheral DVD player)
    2. OR put it on reserve for your students to watch on their own.
      1. We also have a VHS/DVD player cart for in-library use.
  4. Many of our videos can be screened for the public on campus as well. Throw a watch party with any film from AVON, Docuseek, or Films on Demand. Kanopy has limited PPR (public performance rights). Look for the PPR logo. (It's small!)
    1. You can't charge admission, but you can take donations as a fund raiser for your org.
    2. Most feature films require an expensive one-time rental fee for public showings; you are responsible for arranging that.
  5. If we don't own the video you want, we can help you find it. Just ask your subject librarian.
    1. Check out our tens of thousands of titles in the ALICE Catalog to see if something we already own will do the job. We have a guide to titles by subject, too.
    2. Use JustWatch to see if it is available online. Sometimes it makes sense to require students to subscribe to Netflix for the semester. (Note: don't show your class your own Netflix, which does not include an educational use provision.)
    3. Most feature movies from Disney, Netflix, Amazon, etc., are not sold in an educational streaming version. (But maybe it's on DVD.)
    4. Athens County Public Library has Hoopla and most of Kanopy streaming; students can get a library card free online.
    5. We can rent it from Kanopy, etc., fairly quickly once we see that's the best thing to do.

Ask your subject librarian to help with any of this or to buy the movie you need for the library. We'll work with you for the best solution.

See these Library Guides for links, help, and more information:

  1. Film & Media Resources for all users
  2. Streaming Only, Films by Specific Subject/Topic/Discipline
  3. Focused on Film Studies Resources
A stylized image of a length of filmstrip