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Robertson Media Center Video Policies and Services

The Robertson Media Center (RMC) in Clemons Library is committed to supporting the use of video in teaching and learning at the University of Virginia.  In addition to our extensive video collection and specialized viewing equipment and spaces, we offer a number of services to facilitate the use of the Library’s video collections.  In addition to the services listed here, Matt Ball, the Media Librarian, is available to consult with faculty and students to help locate appropriate video content for a class or research project, purchase new content, plan screenings or film festivals, and offer assistance with technical and intellectual property issues.  For questions, please contact Matt Ball.

Loan Periods
All video materials that are not on reserve may be checked out by U.Va. faculty, staff, and students for 7 days with the option of one online renewal.  Researchers who are not affiliated with U.Va. but who need to use materials from the video collection may contact Matt Ball to request access.

Facilities/Equipment
Videos in the Robertson Media Center are located on the 3rd floor of Clemons Library.  DVDs that are not on reserve are in the open stacks; VHS and laser disc materials are in closed stacks in the Vault.  Reserve video materials are kept behind the information desk on the 4th floor.  To locate materials you can use the Video search in Virgo. 

In addition to video materials, the 3rd floor is also where video viewing equipment is located, including 32 viewing stations, 4 viewing rooms, and 2 classrooms.  There are also classrooms on the 4th and 2nd floors, and an additional group viewing room with comfortable, club-style chairs and a large screen is available on the 2nd floor.  Keys to the viewing rooms are checked out on a first-come first-served basis and may be requested at the 4th floor information desk.  Media classrooms can be reserved by instructors for one-time screenings for class.  Equipment in the RMC will play any video format that the Library owns, including laser discs and international region/format videos.

Media Reserves
Clemons Library is the home for video reserves across most disciplines.  Videos that are placed on reserve are kept behind the information desk on the 4th floor of Clemons and can be checked out for 3 hours for use within the building.  There are viewing stations and group viewing rooms on the 3rd floor in the Robertson Media Center.  Visit the Clemons reserve page for more information or to place a reserve request.

Streaming Videos
The Library has over 2,500 licensed streaming videos, including almost 500 titles from PBS, videos on theatre and dance, math, economics, science, politics, etc., any of which can be viewed by U.Va. affiliates and can be linked to from within Collab. The easiest way to link from Collab is to simply copy and paste the URL from the Virgo record into a syllabus, an assignment, the "resources" folder, etc. Students can then access the video directly from Virgo.

Screenings
Copyright law allows for the screening of entire videos to a class of registered students in the course of face-to-face teaching. Faculty and teaching graduate students can “book” a video for class screenings either in a classroom or in Clemons. If you’d like to use one of the classrooms in Clemons for your screening you can reserve the video when you make your room reservation. To request a booking for a screening in a classroom outside of the library please contact Sharlene Chambliss.

Screenings of videos outside of class require Public Performance Rights (PPR). Examples include screenings for student organizations, office parties, film festivals, etc. The Library already has PPR for many documentary and educational videos, but terms can differ depending on the video and the distributor, so you should check with Matt Ball first before scheduling a screening. To find videos with existing PPR, just search for the following distributors in the Video search in Virgo:

If we do not already have PPR, you may be able to purchase it.  PPR for most feature films can be purchased through either Swank Motion Pictures, Inc. or Criterion Pictures USA. 

Digitizing
The RMC  will work with instructors to make video materials available in the formats and locations necessary for teaching, learning, and research. In order to comply with Copyright law, we will explore a range of options. Many requests can be evaluated and handled very quickly, however, requests for digitizing or streaming a video must be evaluated for copyright compliance on a case by case basis.  The services outlined below describe specific solutions we offer.  For questions, please feel free to contact Matt Ball.

Video Clips – The RMC will digitize limited segments (“clips”) of videos for instructors to use in teaching and research. Clips save time by isolating portions of videos to show in class, release instructors from the need to fast forward or watch previews, provide a consistent viewing experience, and allow collection of related material in one location. Clips can be used for in-class viewing on a DVD player, and/or made available for streaming online within Collab. You can make a clip request in person at the 4th floor information desk in Clemons or by filling out the online clip request form.  For instructors teaching in the College of Arts & Sciences, ASCIT  (Arts and Sciences Center for Instructional Technology) will also digitize self-created video material for use in teaching and research.

Format Conversion – Instructors occasionally ask for an entire video (not just clips) to be converted to a new format for teaching or research purposes.   When the request is made to solve playback issues, such as the need to show a VHS in a classroom without a VCR, we will first try to purchase a DVD in the needed format. If the video is not available, we will pursue a range of options to address the instructional need. Please direct all conversion requests for library videos to Matt Ball. 

Research Copies – For videos that are out of print or otherwise unobtainable, contact Matt Ball to evaluate the need for a personal research copy. Such copies are only for personal research purposes and may not be copied, broadcast, published, or distributed in any way.

YouTube – The RMC can download and copy videos from YouTube as long as permission from the rights holder has been granted (usually indicated by a download link/button on the YouTube video in question).  However, YouTube downloads are quite simple and individuals who are interested in looking into YouTube download options may find instructions freely available on the Web.

Streaming – The Library has been working closely with U.Va.’s SHANTI (Science, Humanities, & Arts Network of Technology Initiatives) to develop video management tools for streaming and editing, either through Collab or a stand-alone service called Kaltura.  Kaltura handles short video clips easily, but instructors who wish to stream entire videos through Collab or Kaltura may encounter technical and/or legal constraints.  For some videos we already own the streaming rights, but for others we will need to look into acquiring them.  If we cannot purchase streaming rights we will need to evaluate the streaming request using a Fair Use analysis before digitization of the content can be approved.  Instructors interested in streaming whole content should contact Matt Ball to explore options. 

Copyright
When using library video materials, individual faculty members assume full responsibility for complying with copyright law. For more information on this topic, please see “Web Stewardship, Web Responsibilities”.  

NOTE on ADA compliance

As more faculty members explore use of clips and other audio/visual materials in classroom teaching, it is important that faculty be aware of their responsibilities to students with disabilities.  Students determined by the Learning Needs and Evaluation Center (LNEC) to be entitled to educational accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 are entitled to timely and appropriate modifications of course audio/visual materials, enabling them to access such materials in the same timeframe and context as other students in the class.  Such modifications may include providing scene descriptions in an oral format for students with visual impairments, and scene-captioning for students with auditory impairments.  The RMC will include any captioning and/or sub-titles provided on a video when making clips, but it is not equipped to make new modifications (i.e. captioning or oral descriptions). Faculty who are aware that students needing accommodations are in a class should work closely and in a timely fashion with the LNEC to ensure equal access to audio/visual materials.