Videos, DVDs, Streaming

At the Library:

Many of the library's video and DVD titles are held in the Dean Room at Uris Library. Items are generally filed sequentially as they are received.

This can make it difficult to browse for a specific title or type of film. Using the Library Catalog to locate specific titles or to find certain types of films is recommended.

Please refer to this research guide for assistance:  Finding Videos in the Library Catalog

Streaming Videos:

The library has access to many videos available through streaming. Here is a collection of databases that contain videos: Streaming Video Databases
Note that some (but not all!) items held in these databases may appear in catalog searches as well, which is why it can be better to start in the catalog first. 

Finding Documentaries:

Using the term documentar* (in Subject) in your search will limit your search to records that include the term documentary or documentaries in the Subject field. 

Subject Searching

By searching in Subject for a keyword and then limiting your results to "Video" you can narrow down some of the results to a more browsable list. Within video catalog records you may also find subject terms that can be used for other. Please note that subject terms are not always comprehensive. Not every documentary has "Documentary films" as a subject term, etc. this means that, while subject searching is helpful, it is best to try multiple searches to be the most thorough. 

Some notable subject terms are:

• Feature Films
• Documentary Films
• Foreign Films
• Motion Pictures

Language Searching

Following the guides above, you can also narrow your search by the language the film is available in. Select options from the "Language" facet on the left side of the catalog search. Note: this will also include videos produced with that language as an option, such as dubbed or subtitled movies.

DVD and VHS Players

Olin has portable DVD drives available to check out. Please confirm the patron's computer is able to plug in the device.

For VCRs (used for VHS tapes) there are several locations across campus that can be used/reserved for viewing. If none are presently available in Olin, other libraries may have spaces usable (such as the Math Library). Other buildings on campus may also have viewing rooms/availability.

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