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Video Resources Guide: Video from databases

A guide to finding and using educational and popular video

A word about databases

Databases are specialized online collections of materials such as journal articles, book chapters, images/music/videos, maps, reports, statistics and more.  Each database vendor (for example, Alexander Street Press) has its own unique search interface.  Find the databases from the center section at library.tcu.edu.
The actual page address (url) is https://libguides.tcu.edu/az.php.   On this page: <Finding video databases> <Finding streaming (online) videos via the catalog> <Video databases list>

Finding video databases

Clicking the Databases panel at library.tcu.edu lets you find databases by name (0-9, A-Z), subject or type.  The "Browse by type" box contains an exhaustive list of databases containing "Video." (There is also an Audio databases list.) The list in the right-hand column is selective.

Finding streaming (online) video titles

Many - though not all - film titles in TCU's subscribed databases are retrievable through Frog Scholar or Advanced Search. Here are the different search routes available for finding streaming videos:

>>From the FrogScholar tab at library.tcu.edu enter search terms in the search box, then click SEARCH. At the results screen select "Material Type" Videos, then select just streaming videos with the "Availability" filter's "online" option. Be sure to sign in using your TCU login in order to fully access online content.

Sample search results from the FrogScholar search box (the "Material Type" filter doesn't appear in this example's left column because it had already been selected - thus "Videos" appears at the top left, under "Active filters")

>>The Advanced Search tab at library.tcu.edu allows you to pre-enter multiple search criteria up-front. Select the "Library Catalog" button, type in your search terms (possibly selecting drop-down filters for Title, subject, genre or other criteria, if desired) and select Material Type Video/Film. At the results screen select Availability filter "Available online."

Sample search results via Advanced Search - to see the entire search, click the downward-pointing arrow on the right side of the "Search criteria" box, above the results list

>>Video titles can also be searched for in the individual databases that contain streaming video (check out the right-hand column).

Please be advised that, though most database (online) videos can be found with FrogScholar or Advanced Search as above, there are titles for which the library has both online access and DVD, Blu-ray or VHS videos; since these titles are described in the same catalog entry, they may need to be found using the "Location/Media Library" filter or the "Availability" filter selection "Physical items."  There are also a few cases in which online video links were added to VHS catalog records, which will also be found in this manner.

Video databases list

Selected multidisciplinary video databases

Academic Video Online (Proquest) - Documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels relevant to University level courses. Transcripts are included, and public performance rights permit classroom showings, as well as public screenings with no admission charge. Library catalog records may go to Alexander Street Press Video, which is the alternative interface for AVO-Proquest.

Alexander Street Press Video - academic videos from BroadwayHD, Milestone Films, Sony Pictures Classics, and more. Subcollections include art & design, health sciences, history, literature & language, social sciences, science & engineering, history, and performing arts (dance, music, and theatre). Coverage dates: 1898 - present. ASPV is the main link for all ASP video content, encompassing American History in Video, Filmaker's Library, Dance Online, Music Online and many other video databases.

Ambrose Video 2.0 - videos in science, fine arts, literature, religion, minority studies, U.S. history, and world history, 1500 - present per topics; 1973 - present per publication dates. Instructor guides, quizzes and timelines are available for some programs, and searchable closed captions. Public performance rights included. Note:  it may be difficult to determine the actual creation date of Ambrose video productions, as the only date given in records is the copyright date; however Ambrose selections may be browsed in the library catalog - click the library catalog button. Use series "Ambrose Digital Library" or publisher "Ambrose Video Publishing" to see extensive title lists.  Use "Tweak" to rearrange results by Title, "Oldest," or "Newest," if desired. 

Britannica Online - articles, images, audio, and video providing information on multiple subjects. Sources include Encyclopedia Britannica, The World Atlas, The World Factbook, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, scholarly journals, professional associations, current news media outlets, and more. Videos can be browsed by clicking on " Media Browse," or by selecting a topic area, then "Videos."  Find the url to a video through the Citation icon; you may need to prefix the link with http://library.tcu.edu/PURL/EZproxy_link.asp?url= to be sure it works from off-campus or non-TCU computers.

Films on Demand / Films Media Group - videos on multiple subjects from Films for the Humanities and Sciences, PBS, History Channel, Biography Channel, National Geographic, TED, global television networks, and more. Embedding, linking, and interactive transcripts are available. Coverage dates: 1903 - present. One sub-collection is Broadway Digital Archive with, to date, 31 vintage Broadway productions.

Kanopy - documentary, instructional, popular and foreign films from A&E, Criterion Collection, History Channel, A24, Kino Lorber, Lumiere, or other sources, available for defined periods of time per lease and purchase arrangements. Features include durable links, captions, transcripts, and clip or playlist creation. Coverage dates: 1898 - present. Currently available Kanopy titles appear in the library catalog (Advanced Search - use the "library catalog" button).

Swank Digital Campus - popular, foreign, and documentary films primarily for academic course use, limited to 1000 films campus wide at any one time, plus 20 additional films by special request. Selection for the 20 additional titles is mediated via request form submission by the professor of record (the professor of the relevant university course). To see a list of available films, search the library catalog for "swank motion pictures" (use quotes), selecting Streaming - online - video as format. Coverage dates: Current.

More selected video databases ; All video databases
<Printable list of sound and video databases>  
 

AdForum Creative Network - print, television, radio, outdoor, and digital advertisement catalog from global companies or brands, with case studies of high profile advertising campaigns. Awards and advertising agencies are noted for each entry. Coverage dates: 1998 - present

Alexander Street Press and other performing arts databases

Classical Music in Video; 
Dance in Video 
Opera in Video 
Theatre in Video
  These video databases from ASP contain music, opera, theater and dance performances spanning decades, as well as interviews and documentaries.  Transcripts are available for most titles, and playlists and clips can be

constructed.  All of these video databases except for Theatre in Video can be cross-searched using the Music Online interface; ASP's music databases are available from the “M” Databases page or the Music databases listMedici.TV adds music and dance content as of August 2024. Enhancing the number of online theater videos is BBC Shakespeare Plays from Ambrose Video; with BBC-Ambrose content in other databases as well.  Drama Online, containing audio of some 350 plays, now has Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen videos; Theatre and Drama Premium has plays, documentaries and a limited amount of “Broadway HD” video content. (BroadwayHD online offers subscriptions to individuals on a monthly or yearly basis, and has a Facebook page.) Films on Demand offers some Broadway Digital Archive content; Digital Theatre Plus adds more (search for broadway), and a filter lets you select musical theatre.

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American History in Video - historical documentary videos for eras 1500 - 1999, from PBS, Documentary Educational Resources, BullFrog Films, the History Channel, and others, with original newsreels from 1929 - 1967. Films and segments date from 1894 - present. Selections can be found by era, date, topic, and more. Many films and documentaries have transcripts. 

Counseling and Therapy in Video - videos for the study of social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatric counseling, in the form of counseling sessions and demonstrations, consultations, lectures, training sessions, reenactments, presentations, and interviews. Coverage dates: 1971 - 2015

Diction Police - video tutorials and podcasts about the practice of singing in foreign languages, plus more, featuring native speakers and professional singers. Coverage dates: Current

Filmaker's Library - issues-based documentary videos relevant to multiple subjects such as race and gender studies, human rights, globalization and global studies, multiculturalism, international relations, criminal justice, the environment, bioethics, health, political science, current events, and more, 1974 - present. Documentary transcripts, clips, linking and embedding are possible.

Human Rights Studies Online - Books, articles, documents, images, videos, web links, and more, relating to global human rights issues and crimes. Coverage dates: 1900 - present

Met Opera on Demand - depending on the performance date, video or audio of full-length Metropolitan Opera performances, including the Met's current Live-in-HD theater transmissions, classic telecasts and early radio broadcasts. English synopses and subtitles are available, with multi-language subtitles and synopses for HD videos. Coverage dates: 1936 - present

Nursing Education in Video - demonstration and training videos for student and practicing nurses, nurses, nursing assistants, and other healthcare workers, created by Medcom-Trainex. Coverage dates: current

Paley Center Seminars - online video archive of the acclaimed seminar series by The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio) in New York and Los Angeles, featuring leading names in media discussing the creative process, contemporary issues in production, and the impact of media on society. Coverage dates: Current. Paley offers durable urls (links) to its videos, but the links don’t work off campus or with non-TCU computers, so try adding this prefix to Paley’s durable links:  http://library.tcu.edu/PURL/EZproxy_link.asp?url=

Popular Culture in Britain and America - images, videos, and print primary source materials documenting global social, political, and cultural change between 1950 and 1975. Emphases include rock and roll, counterculture, peace, and protest movements, but topics are wide-ranging. Video items can be selected according to "themes" (topics, genres, disciplines and so on). Coverage: 1950 - 1975

Sage Research Methods Video - video tutorials, case studies, expert interviews, and more, illustrating qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research and statistical methods. Coverage dates: current

Small Business Reference Center - articles, books, and videos for small business and entrepreneurial topics, offering information on business basics, industry information by small business type, start-up kits, business plans, and more. Coverage dates: 1986-current

Stratfor - nonpartisan international news, intelligence reports, analysis, and more. Topics include economics and finance, energy, military, politics, terrorism/security, and more. Videos, maps, and articles are available. To link reliably, add this prefix before Stratfor’s links: http://library.tcu.edu/PURL/EZproxy_link.asp?url=

WARC - intelligence solutions for students, faculty, and staff in advertising, marketing, and mass communications. Contains advertising and marketing cases, industry news and profiles, and streaming video from advertising campaigns. An extensive topics list can be toggled by categories or geographics. Coverage dates: 1980 to present