Videos in the Library Collection

Send an email to your Liaison Librarian with the following information:

• Requestor/instructor name and department
• Format preferred (online or DVD)
• Course information (Course prefix & number and/or title)
• Course format (in-person, hybrid, or online)
• Planned course use (required out-of-classroom viewing of entire video by all students, clips shown in a physical classroom, etc.)

Things to consider:

• You can check OneSearch first to see if the library already has the video, and in what format.
  • If a video has a temporary license (with an expiration date in the full OneSearch record), be sure to request a license renewal before a video is needed for classroom viewing.
• Review the Video Options for Courses.
• New / renewing videos are paid for out of the new "firm orders" library funds for each discipline, and these expenditures are overseen by the Liaison Librarian and the Department Representative.

Your Liaison Librarian can work with you to:

1. Check OneSearch to see if the library already has access to the video (streaming and/or in DVD).

2. Check for Free Options.  For commercial films, use a service like Just Watch to see if there are free services (Freevee, Tubi, Plex, etc.) which stream the video (with ads).  more information

3. Check the existing library collections (especially AVON) to see if a different title will meet the need for your course.

4. Check on the availability of institutional streaming licenses (temporary or permanent/perpetual), and examine some of the following options:

• Commercial films with license available:
  • Consider options for Student Rental plus DVD on Physical Reserve.
  • Consider how to fund campus license (usually $255 per year listed in the Swank full catalog).
  • Be sure to check the Swank full catalog.
• Educational/Documentary films with license available:
  • Consider how to fund permanent license ($300 to $1000) if available.
  • Consider how to fund temporary license (often between $75 and $150 per year).
  • Check Kanopy (and look for results after the current Stanislaus license). 
  • Googling an educational/documentary video will often retrieve results from the main license options (Kanopy, Films.com, etc.)
• Videos without available license:
  • Investigate streaming via Electronic Reserves.

5. Explore other options.

• Student streaming rental (typically $3 to $4 for commercial films) as part of class materials/required "texts."
• Showing during class meeting time in a physical classroom (potentially more affordable options).

Please submit any questions and feedback regarding these collections to: videos@library.csustan.edu