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On-site Viewing Rooms in the Library

Media Viewing Area
8 stations for individual viewing of the Media Services collection:2 multi region dvd players, 6 DVD/Blu-ray players. Media Services also has equipment available for using laserdiscs, audio cassettes, LPs, HD-DVDs, and multi region VHS.

Library Screening Room
Seats 35 people. It contains a video projector connected to an all region Blu-ray DVD player and VCR. Blu-ray players will play regular DVD discs. The projector can also be linked to a laptop for computer based presentations. A laptop can be connected with the available HMDI cable, VGA cable or wirelessly with the AirMedia app. The projector displays a high quality image of approximately 5 feet by 8 feet. The room is also equipped with amplified speakers. AU faculty may reserve the media classroom for instruction which utilizes the Library media collection. A faculty member or designated representative must be present while the classroom is being used. The Media Classroom is available to campus groups for non-Media Services use through EMS scheduling requests.

Viewing Room B54
Seats 15 people. Contains a large 62" LCD television, all region Blu-ray DVD player and VCR. This room is available for group viewings of our physical media collection as well as for collaborative study.

Viewing Room B55
Seats 8 people. Similar setup to Room B54 with a large 62" LCD TV. This room can be reserved for group viewings of our physical media collection as well as for collaborative study.

Tips for Media Searching

Searching for Videos
All Media Services items are cataloged in the library online catalog (Library Search). You can search the standard catalog interface. Using the standard catalog interface searches the holdings of all nine WRLC libraries. Your search can then be further refined by using the facets on the left side of the page. 

Film and Media Scope
In the Library Search search box, you can choose from a pull down menu and select "Film & Media". This will limit your search to only items in the Media Services Collection - both physical items like DVDs and electronic items like streaming video.  

Searching on the Visual Media Collection Page
If you search on the Visual Media Collection page, you automatically search only items in the physical media collection but you do have the option to search only our streaming video collection by checking on the Streaming Media only option.

Tips for Title Searching

  • Omit initial articles (A, The, Le, L').
    • correct - Godfather, incorrect - The Godfather
    • correct - Atalante, incorrect - L'Atalante
  • Foreign films can be searched by the original title or by the English translation.
    • either Fresa y chocolate or Strawberry and chocolate
    • Foreign film titles are commonly translated several different ways, or may be released in different countries under different titles. If in doubt, use the original title.
    • either Ladri de biciclette or Bicycle thieves or Bicycle thief, not The Bicycle thief
  • At least the first few words of the title must be spelled out correctly. Search terms may be truncated. Searches must be exact. The catalog makes no provisions for a "close" search. You must spell titles correctly.

Useful Keywords When Searching for Videos

  • "videorecording": restricts to VHS, DVDs, laserdiscs, 16 mm film, etc.
  • "dvd": restricts to DVDs (standard, Blu-Ray, HD) only
  • "streaming video": restricts to videos viewable online
  • "home use": restricts to Home Use Collection items
  • "feature films": restricts to theatrical release "movies"
  • "in Spanish with English subtitles": restricts to Spanish language videos

Searching by Author

This searches the catalog field - Other Authors/Contributors. In the case of media, it will bring up directors, actors and notable individuals added to this field. However, it will not bring up entries from the Performers field. Author searching does not limit the search specifically to media. If you did the Author search - "Scorsese, Martin" you would get the films he directed, the films he acted in, but also the book, Scorsese on Scorsese. For these reasons it is better to search for people using a keyword search.