(Last database in our long list)
This database plays host to over 3,000 full length
instruction videos covering a wide variety of fields such as “Area Studies”, “Engineering”,
“Guidance and Counseling”, “Nursing”, “ Archival Films and Newsreels”, “World
Cinema”, and “World Languages”.
You can search this database by keywords within film
segments, titles, or transcripts. If
this doesn’t work try the advanced search.
This allows you to add more information to the search and provides
optional advanced filters such as “Show only closed-captioned programs”. Another way to search for material is to
browse by subject. Click on the heading
“Collections” and you’ll bring up a list of 31 broad subject areas. Selecting one of these provides you with citations
for all the titles in that collection as well as a list of ways to narrow down
your search. These may include a more
specific breakdown of subjects within the category, types of films, producers,
and copyright dates. By continuing to click on the sub categories
listed you can drill down to a much more specific topic.
Using the latter method I found several interesting
films. For instance, I started in the “Sociology
Collection” collection (with 3,307 titles), opened the drop-down menu under “Social
Institutions”, and narrowed that to “Economy and Work” which held 180 titles. My favorite of these was “The Moneyless Man: Mark Boyle”.
It’s the fascinating story of a man who claimed he felt “healthier and
happier at the end of a year living without money.”
Beginning my second search with the 1,051 titles in the “Technical and Trade
Education Collection” I narrowed them down until I reached the 33 titles in the “Haircutting and
Styling” category. One of these films
demonstrated how to cut and thin children’s hair so clearly that I might even try
it myself!
Some films are listed under several categories so if you’re
browsing it’s easier to find them. For
example, The Case of ESP is filed
under “Human Anatomy & Physiology”, “Applied Psychology”, and “Biological
Psychology” while Do Your Fruits and
Veggies Know What Time It Is? can be found under the headings of “General
Biology” and “Plant Biology”.
Once at the desired film you’ll find three tabs on the right
side. One lists the titles of the film
segments and summarizes each while the second provides a transcript. The third displays a list of related titles.
Icons under the screen provide citation information and
allow you create a playlist , email the film, etc.
The SUNY Empire State College has a great tutorial, “How to
Use Films on Demand”
(
http://subjectguides.esc.edu/filmsondemand
).
It covers how to do a simple search
and an advanced search, how to browse by subject, and what various words and
symbols mean on the results pages.
Access this database and other SWC Library databases from home by using the link on our
Articles & Databases page, then entering your username (WebAdvisor ID) and password (birthdate).
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