DVDs and multimedia materials
The Library holds over 4,000 DVDs and around 2,500 videos. These are primarily selected to support the , but there is also material selected by and relevant to various other Schools and Departments (e.g. English, History, French, Spanish, German). The collection contains feature films, drama and a wide range of documentary material. There are also some audio CDs, audio cassettes and a few data DVDs.
Location
DVDs and multimedia materials are located on Level 2 of the Main Library
Arrangement
The collection is arranged according to Library of Congress classification, the same as the book stock. Feature films are classified by title within chronological sequences. The two main sequences are:
| dvd PN1997 | Twentieth century feature films in A-Z order |
| dvd PN1997.2 | Twenty-first century feature films in A-Z order |
Documentaries are given the classmark for their particular subject
e.g.
| dvd D802.F8S7 | Sorrow and the pity (documentary on occupied France in World War II) |
| dvd RC394.A5U5 | Unknown white male (documentary on missing persons) |
How audio-visual material is described in SAULCAT, the Library catalogue
Audio-visual materials (DVDs, video-recordings etc) are described using extra elements to provide specialist information. These include the names of directors, stars and authors of the original literary work, as well as country of production, date of original publication, genre, subject headings and technical details. Content information for most feature films is provided via a link to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). An example can be found at http://library.st-andrews.ac.uk/record=b1440014~S3
Search tips
- Limit your search to audio-visual material by selecting the Audiovisual tab before you start. Keyword searching is more effective if you use this tab.
- You can then search by Keyword, Author, Author & Title, Title, Subject, Classmark and ISBN (International Standard Book Number).
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Use an author search to look for material by the name of the director or star.
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Use a subject search to look for material by country of production.
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Use a subject search to look for material by genre or subject heading.
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Use an author search to look for material based on literary works.
RSS feed
An RSS feed is available to notify you about new DVDs acquired by the Library. The feed can be found on both the Library home page and the SAULCAT homepage.
Equipment
DVD and video playback equipment with integral headphones is provided on Level 2 beside the Audio-Visual Collection. The remote controls for this equipment are available from the IT Service Desk on Level 2 during service hours.
Borrowing
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Most items in the Audio-Visual Collection may be borrowed either on 3-Day Loan, or for periods of 4 hours from Short Loan.
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DVDs and video cassettes may only be borrowed by current staff and students of the University.
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All borrowable items can be issued via the self-issue machines (with the exception of video cassettes and Certificate 18 items, which have to be issued at the Service Desk on Level 2).
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Borrowing of Certificate 18 items is restricted to users aged 18 and over.
Prefixes
| av | videos | Level 2 |
| avc | audio CDs | Level 2 |
| avm | multimedia | Level 2 |
| avs | slides | Level 2 |
| avt | audio cassettes | Level 2 |
| dv | data DVDs | Level 2 |
| dvd | DVDs | Level 2 |
DVD region codes
The DVD collection contains material from many different countries. The Library's DVD players are all multi-regional and can handle all discs, regardless of region codes. Standard DVD players in the UK, however, usually only accept Region 2 and Region 0 discs. Be aware of this when you borrow items to play on a personal machine! If your DVD player is not multi-regional, a disc with any other coding is unlikely to play on it. DVDs without region codes are likely to come from the USA, and will be Region 1. You will find the region code on the DVD itself, and also on the reverse of the container. They are also contained in the Library's catalogue record. Region codes look like this:
etc.
| Region 1 | USA, Canada |
| Region 2 | Europe, South Africa, Middle East, Japan, Greenland |
| Region 3 | South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, parts of S.E. Asia |
| Region 4 | Australia, New Zealand, Latin America (including Mexico) |
| Region 5 | Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Africa |
| Region 6 | China |
| Region 7 | Reserved for unspecified special use |
| Region 8 | Reserved for cruise ships, airlines etc. |
| Region 0 or Region ALL | Discs uncoded, and can usually be played worldwide |
Certification
These are the standard British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) codes in current use. They are recorded in the Library's catalogue records wherever possible.
Fault reporting
Please report any faults with Library audio-visual material or equipment to the IT Service Desk on Level 2.
Updated 22 December 2010
