The University Record, October 11, 1999 By Joanne Nesbit
News and Information Services
No 16-screen theater here. No popcorn, nachos or drinks. But the Film and Video Library (FVL) does have more than 15,000 titles and serves thousands of faculty, staff and students from the Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses.
The collection includes feature films, dramas, instructional videos, animated shorts, commercials, experimental films/videos, film essays, training videos, television news magazine segments and documentaries, all covering a broad range of academic fields. FVL originally was founded as a 16-mm film library, a format it no longer acquires. VHS videocassettes now account for more than half of FVL’s collection, with video laserdiscs and interactive CD-ROM titles being added to the mix.
During a recent academic year, FVL provided materials for classroom use in every school and college of the U-M’s three campuses. These materials were used in nearly 7,000 classes, meetings and training sessions with a total combined audience of more than 400,000, enough viewers to fill Michigan Stadium four times over. Of these viewers, 326,000 were in lower level undergraduate courses and 61,000 were in upper level and graduate courses.
The FVL works closely with U-M faculty to build a collection that meets their instructional, training and research needs. It actively solicits faculty input regarding selection of the approximately 800 new titles added to the collection each year. The FVL also provides reference and consultation service to help patrons select and use media components for their courses or special film/video programs.
Through its “The Video Alternative” (TVA) program, the library makes a select collection of foreign language features, classic films, dramas, music and dance performances, documentaries and special interest videos available for home viewing. Arrangements can be made through the Reserves Desk in Room 2002, Shapiro Undergraduate Library. There is no charge for TVA items, but students will be charged $1 per day for overdue videos.
Descriptions of TVA titles are in the MCAT database in MIRLYN and TVA notebooks at the Reserves Desk, Shapiro’s Reference Desk or the Film and Video Library Scheduling Office in Room 2178, Shapiro Undergraduate Library. For additional information, call the Film and Video Library, 764-5360.
