News & Blog

Welcome to the sixth installment of Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not have known about!

As a society, we are incorporating a new perspective on education, in which we value videos and films just as beneficial as textbooks and lectures. Documentaries, for example, do more than just entertain; they challenge our perspectives, educate us about important issues, and inspire us to take action.

UCF is no stranger to the value of academic videos, hosting a plethora of streaming platforms with free access to students.

In fact, videos are one of the best ways to provide a personalized learning experience. They increase motivation and can specifically impact students’ ability to facilitate discussions and identify problems. Learning through film is memorable, comprehensive, affordable, accessible, and inclusive.

UCF has partnerships with several video streaming platforms to bring these benefits to students for free! If you’d like to learn how to access these platforms (and their academic videos, documentaries, and films), visit Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Library Streaming Videos in STARS.

Streaming videos are a great way to add engaging content to online courses in a broad range of fields beyond film studies. Everyone from Sociology and LGTBQIA+ Studies to Environmental Studies and Mental Health Counseling can benefit.

Swank Digital Campus offers many popular films and current releases as well as HBO documentaries and TV series for use in online courses. UCF currently has 364 Swank films licensed for use including recent releases like Just Mercy (2019), Bombshell (2019), and The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) to classics such as Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Greed (1924). Links for these films can be sent the same business day as the request.

If none of those great films fits your course, you can search the full Swank catalog for specific films or browse by discipline. If you see anything you like, submit a request through the form on our guide.

And to help with your searching the list of currently licensed films is now sortable by title, year, or expiration date. Primary category will be added to the sorting options soon.

Did you know UCF Libraries has streaming video options that are searchable through our catalog?

We do! Alexander Street Press, Films on Demand, and Kanopy films are all searchable through the UCF Libraries’ catalog and can be used for online courses (or just for fun).

Alexander Street Press contains more than 80 collections filled with videos, audio tracks and playlists. The collections range from literature, black history, psychological counseling and therapy to religion, sociology and medicine. Entire films can be embedded in courses or only relevant segments. The full Alexander Street Pres video catalog search will require a UCF or OpenAthens login.

Films on Demand is a great resource that includes documentaries, TEDTalks, and even a playlist of Ken Burns series including Vietnam. Entire films can be embedded in courses or only relevant segments. The full Films on Demand catalog search will require a UCF or OpenAthens login.

Kanopy films are paid for by UCF on an on-demand, per-title basis so the selection is somewhat limited, but it includes popular films and a wide range of documentaries. Examples are Ex Libris: The New York Public Library, The Mask You Live In, Awake a Dream of Standing Rock, and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.

Please consult your subject librarian for any of these films to verify expiration dates. If you do not know your subject librarian, their contact information can be found through our subject specific list.

Streaming videos are a great way to add engaging content to online courses in a broad range of fields beyond film studies. Everyone from Sociology and LGTBQIA+ Studies to Environmental Studies and Mental Health Counseling can benefit. Luckily, UCF Libraries has many options for you. Today we are featuring Swank Digital Campus.

Swank Digital Campus offers many popular films and current releases as well as HBO documentaries and TV series for use in online courses. UCF currently has 143 Swank films licensed for use including recent releases like Bombshell (2019) and The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) to classics such as Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Greed (1924). Links for these films can be sent the same business day as the request.

If none of those great films fits your course, you can search the full Swank catalog for specific films or browse by discipline. New film requests generally have a 24-48 hour turn around time. Please note that some films and TV shows are listed as needing “additional fees & time.” These requests need special permissions for the extra cost and have a turn around time of 4-6 weeks.  

If you see anything you like, submit a request through the form on our guide.

UCF offers tens of thousands of streaming videos from Alexander Street Press, FMG and Kanopy. Go to https://library.ucf.edu/#Videos to search. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please click the button below and fill out the form. We will return your email as soon as possible.

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