Open Culture Does it Again!

This media site, which we know already as a great place for things like language-learning podcasts and free audiobooks, has compiled a Guide to Intelligent Video.  It describes (and links to) the top user-recommended sites for cultural and educational videos.   There's lots here to explore. 

Firefox Video Add-Ons

While we are learning the fine art of video-making and what it can do for us, and until we have Camtasia or Captivate on our machines to facilitate experimentation, you might want to take a look at CaptureFox. This is a Firefox add-on that you can install (much like Harvard LibX) on your computer here. CaptureFox is very recently launched but is generating enthusiasm.

Where videos go to die . . .

You've heard about TimeTube already.  

A recent WiredNews article introduces us to something else: YouTomb.  

Like the Wayback Machine for web pages, YouTomb captures the fact that a video did once exist, even if it's lost to the world forever due to copyright restrictions and other forms of censorship. 

Our MIT friends down the street are responsible for the project. 

Strange HOLLIS messages about Morse DVDs

A student phoned today trying to determine whether (and where) she could get a film (presumably for viewing for a class). When I searched HOLLIS for the title -- El Crimen del Padre Amaro -- and checked availability, I got this odd message: "This item may be available, but it has no online circulation information. Check the shelves or contact the owning library."

A call to the Circ desk revealed that the record was (supposed to be?) suppressed but that the film was available for viewing at the Language Resource Center.

Linda explained the meaning of the message thus: "There are a half a dozen DVDs that are being streamed from the LRC server for the semester. Due to copyright restrictions, they have to be taken out of circulation when they are made available in this way. I'm guessing this is one of them. If the patron is still there, send him/her to the LRC. The majority of these films are foreign language; that's the first clue."

If you encounter this message in your travels through HOLLIS with Harvard students, you might want to confirm with a call to Circ (or to the LRC).

Film Searching in HOLLIS: the Sequel

I've learned a few new tricks for pulling up films in HOLLIS -- something which might be useful to you when the typical search strategy -- words + format=Visual doesn't produce what you expect, suspect is out there, or need to find.

You can consider these tips authoritative: they come from master cataloger Betsy Eggleston, who serves with me on the MetaPac committee.

According to the Bib Standards Committee, films should always be given a designated form/genre. The applications are not always consistent, as the list below makes painfully clear. Some HOLLIS items carry more than one these form/genre label (e.g., DVD video discs and feature films) so the numbers under each heading do not necessarily identify unique items.

DVD (50+): actual number in catalog is 13976.
DVD-video (3)
DVD video discs (50+):13556. Limiting to Lamont registers 1452 items this way, but only Marty will know how accurate that count is.
DVD-Video disc (1)
DVD Videodiscs(50+): actually, only 80 items have this variant.

Videodiscs (50+): items entered this way currently total 805.
Videocassettes (50+): 4988 items.
Videotapes (50+): 14950.

Things get interesting when you try some other combinations:

kw DVD + format=visual retrieves 14696 items.
kw videorecording + format=visual retrieves 5825.
kw feature films + format=visual retrieves 8243.
kw motion pictures + format=visual retrieves 3448.
kw films + format=visual retrieves 13826.
kw feature + format=visual retrieves 8343.

The current (or recent) thinking among catalogers, apparently, is that since IMDB (and other online tools) do their thing so well, users should search there, find a title, and then turn to HOLLIS for local holdings.

Free Access to Online Documentaries

To add to your reference repertoire:

Best Online Documentaries

Items are not restricted by copyright and are considered high quality; most are culled from the Google Videos collection. They're classified by broad subjects.

I've also added the site to our del.icio.us links.

A Question about James Michael Curley materials

I just answered a question from the HOLLIS Comment Line. Since it had to do with media materials, I thought I'd share my response. Someone was looking for recordings of speeches by former Boston Mayor, James Curley. There is nothing in HOLLIS and I checked the "Video Encyclopedia of the Twentieth Century" index. The index is kept at the Morse Music & Media Help Desk. Though I did not find any entries for Curley, I thought it would be good to remind everyone about these video recordings and the index to them (videos in the "Video Encyclopedia of the Twentieth Century" is with the video cassettes at D 419 V53 1986x) . The videos contain speeches and short newsreel type of material.

Since we did not have any recordings here at Harvard (and I didn't find any with a Google search either), I referred them to the Boston Public Library's "Curley Collection." If there are recordings available, there may be some there--or the BPL should know where else they might find some.

Second Life in education: good video introduction

The New Media Consortium has produced this 5 minute video describing the educational possibilities emerging in 3-D virtual environments.




In 5 years, we'll probably think of this video (or even SL) as something akin to "gopher" technology or the "Mosaic" browser; still, it's good to look up from where we are now once in a while and squint at the horizon!

More resources on SL Education are available here, if you're interested.

Web 2.0 video that's worth a watch (and a listen)