About the Collection

• documentary films
• performing arts films (including drama, dance, opera, and classical music)
• feature films (from silent films and foreign films to more recent titles including television)
• spoken word recordings re-formatted onto VHS videotape

Documentary Films

Titles in the documentary film collection may cover all subject areas and are selected to support the instruction and research needs of the faculty and students. English language material predominates, with little foreign language material in the collection. Preference is given to films that are unique in their approach or treatment and that will significantly enhance the learning experience. Because they are generally very expensive to purchase, preference is also given to documentary films that have been reviewed favorably and that are likely to be of sustained interest to more than one faculty member or discipline at Northwestern University. Television news specials and other titles that are in the public domain (political conventions, Presidential debates and speeches, etc.) are collected on a comprehensive basis.

Guide to Select Documentaries (in PDF format, requiring Acrobat Reader):
	African-American | Africana | Art & Architecture
	Asian and Asian American Studies | Holocaust | Gender Studies and Women's Studies |
	The Middle East Conflict, Terrorism and U.S. Policy | Sexual Orientation (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies)

Performing Arts

Titles are acquired in the broad areas of drama, opera and classical music, and dance. Because of their broad interdisciplinary appeal and the limited number of new releases each year, drama and opera titles are acquired on a sustained level adequate to support undergraduate and most graduate instruction (although at less than research intensity). Different performances of the same title may be acquired. However, general interest titles of classical music performances are not acquired unless they have a special and significant pedagogical value. Dance titles (both ballet and modern dance) are acquired to support a basic collection. Instructional or training titles in the performing arts are not acquired, since these are the audio-visual equivalent of textbooks, which the Library does not purchase.

Guide to Performing Arts (in PDF format, requiring Acrobat Reader):
	Performing Arts | Shakespeare

Feature Films

The feature film collection supports the Radio/TV/Film department in the School of Speech as well as a broad range of courses in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS). The collection covers the chronological period from silent films to to the present, including television. Foreign films in the original language without subtitles are not collected but are instead available at the WCAS MultiMedia Learning Center where they support foreign language instruction.

Guide to Film Collections (in PDF format, requiring Acrobat Reader):
	Feature Film | Foreign Film | Laserdisc | Silent Film | Television

Spoken Word Recordings

The Multimedia Center has an older collection of approximately 5,000 spoken word sound recordings. The collection includes a wide range of drama, poetry, and prose recordings. All of the titles have been cataloged and re-formatted onto the audiotrack of 1/2" VHS videotape.

Selection Criteria

1. Timeliness of the information
2. Level and quality of treatment
3. Technical quality and format
4. Aesthetic appeal
5. Anticipated use levels
6. Cost

Locating and Using Videotapes

• Help with search limits
• You may limit your search either by "Location" (Mitchell Media Center), by "Medium" (Videorecordings), or by "Type" (Nonmusical Sound Recordings) to help focus only on items found in the Multimedia Center's collection.

Formats

The Multimedia Center houses the following formats in the collection:

• 13,000 NTSC 1/2" VHS videotapes
• 1,000 laserdiscs
• 4,000 digital video discs (DVD)
• spoken word recordings reformatted to VHS videotape

All formats in the collection circulate (including bound guides) with the exception of laserdiscs and CDs.

Technical Quality