Audio/Visual Policy
The purpose of the Audio/Visual Collection is to support the instruction and research needs of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette faculty and students. The A/V collection includes audio compact discs, 1/2" VHS video cassettes, DVD format, and more formats.
The A/V fund supports the purchase of audio compact discs of music, spoken-word and effects, documentary videos, performances, performance art, and feature films. Popular, current release, feature films, and music are purchased only upon the request of an instructor or department to support classroom instruction or research. A/V materials of extremely narrow focus will be purchased at the discretion of the media coordinator or director.
As the A/V resource collection supports most academic programs within the University, they include all subject classifications. However, the collections are not evenly divided among the subject areas. Some subject areas are more frequently represented in the production of video and audio materials and are more suitable for video or audio presentation. Though the effort is made to collect in a broad range of disciplines, it is not possible or desirable to represent every curriculum.
This collection policy statement does not apply to audiovisual materials for Louisiana, which are collected by the Louisiana Room under the guidelines for that collection.
Scope
Language
Films in English and other languages with English subtitles are emphasized. Foreign language films representing the curriculum of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are preferred over other foreign language films. Unsubtitled foreign language films are collected in a more limited capacity. Compact discs are collected without regard to language.
Chronology
Priority is given to documentary programs produced within the past five years. Older programs will be purchased only when they are classic titles or when it has been determined that no recent production offers the same level of coverage in terms of content or quality. There are no chronological guidelines for the purchase of feature films or audio.
Format
DVDs purchased will be encoded for North America (Region 1) only.
Video: Programs will be purchased in the NTSC standard only.
Audio: Materials from any country will be purchased, but materials produced in the United States predominate, due to availability.
Rating
Videos, DVDs, and CDs are purchased regardless of their MPAA rating or content advisory warnings 1
Overall Selection Criteria
The Media coordinator selects video and audio for purchase from a number of sources: reviews, previews (television broadcasts, film festivals, media markets), and faculty or director requests. The Media coordinator will purchase any faculty or director request that falls within the collection development policy and for which adequate funds exist. If the Media coordinator is not able to purchase the title on the A/V fund, other funding sources may be explored. Materials will be evaluated considering the following criteria:
- Accuracy
- Timeliness of information
- Level of treatment
- Technical quality
- Aesthetic appeal
- Relative cost
All purchases are subject to approval by the Media coordinator, who reserves the right to return to a distributor, materials that do not meet expectations with regard to content or quality.
Specific Selection Criteria for Feature Films
DVDs offer superior video and audio quality and are now the preferred format as access to equipment improves.
The feature film collection supports courses in Film Studies, as well as a variety of other disciplines. The collection focuses on the works of recognized directors and significant individual titles from the perspective of film scholarship. 2 It also includes films that contribute to a particular discipline such as the arts, humanities, social sciences, or modern languages.
Selection of titles is made on the basis of reviews and faculty recommendations. As the collection should reflect the research interests of the faculty, as well as, their instructional needs, some directors and some genres are collected more comprehensively than others.
Popular, current-release videos are purchased only upon the recommendation of faculty, with the assurance that they will be used for research or instruction.
Specific Selection Criteria for Compact Discs
The selection of audio materials is made on the basis of reviews and faculty recommendation. The purpose of the collection is to reflect the research and instructional interests of the faculty and students.
Current "Top-40" (Pop, Rock, Country, R&B, Rap, etc.) is considered beyond the scope of this collection but may be purchased based on faculty or director request. Important, definitive or influential representations from these genres may be purchased at the discretion of the Media coordinator or Dean.
Audiobooks will not be included.
Weeding of the Collection
The A/V collection is weeded as necessary. The deselection of A/V materials follows the following criteria:
- If a video or CD is damaged, it should be removed from the collection. It will be replaced at the discretion of the Media coordinator or director based on demand or requests.
- If a video or CD has not been circulated for 3 years, it will be reviewed for deselection by the Media coordinator
- If a video or CD becomes obsolete in format or content, it will be reviewed for deselection by the Media coordinator. An appropriate, updated replacement will be considered based on demand or requests.
Gifts
Gift materials will be accepted for the collection with the understanding that they become the property of Edith Garland Dupré Library and the State of Louisiana. They will be evaluated by the same criteria as purchased material. No special conditions may be placed on gifts. The Media coordinator or Dean, with the Head of Collection Development, will make the final decision on the use of donations to the A/V collection.
Circulation
Loan Period
Videos and compact discs will circulate for a period of three (3) weeks. The Dean, Media coordinator or Head of Circulation Services may decide to extend this period. Fines on overdue videos and compact discs will follow the same pattern as book items; however, there is no grace period as with books. An item may be renewed as long as no one else is on the waiting list for the item.
Damaged Items
Circulation Services will assess damage to a video or compact disc when it is returned from loan. A user may be fined for repairable damage to a video or compact disc or billed for replacement of an item if the damage necessitates the item being removed from the shelves. Damage includes, but is not limited to the following: sun damage, water damage, heat damage, magnetic damage, scratches causing skips and scratches or creases in the videotape. Edith Garland Dupré Library and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette assume no responsibility in damage occurred to a user's equipment when used in conjunction with materials checked out of the library. Users may also view the materials within the library using the library's equipment.
Interlibrary Loan
Videos and compact discs will not be lent to other libraries through interlibrary loan. The Dean may make exceptions to this policy.
Copyright
The DVDs, video cassettes and compact discs in Dupré Library are subject to the Revised Copyright Act of 1976, Title 17 of the U.S. Code, Sections 101-810, which took effect on Jan. 1, 1978. The library prohibits the use of these materials in any way that violates Federal or State laws. Students, faculty, and staff who disregard the copyright policy do so at their own risk and must assume liability for their actions. Videos are for home use and may not be shown outside a family residence, or at a place where a substantial number of people are gathered, regardless of whether admission is charged. Videos may be used in the classroom under the allowances of 'Fair Use' provided they follow these restrictions:
- The performance must be by instructors or by students;
- The performance must be in connection with face-to-face teaching activities;
- The entire audience is involved in the teaching activity;
- The entire audience is in the same room or general area;
- The teaching activities are conducted by a non-profit institution;
- The performance takes place in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction;
- The video is lawfully made or the person responsible had no reason to believe that the video was unlawfully made.
Copying a work in its entirety is allowed only in emergency situations, regardless of its intended use. There are serious consequences of pirating copyrighted works. Users may refer to the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning at the beginning of the video which states:
"The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment."
Dupré Library reserves the right to refuse circulation privileges to users who knowingly and willfully violate copyright law in their use of library materials including videos and compact discs. If you are in doubt about the use of a work, consult the University's Office of Innovation Management.
Notes
- Due to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's status as an institution of higher education, users should be responsible for their choices when checking out a video or CD for personal use. The Media coordinator will not remove or label materials because they have been or might be found offensive. The director may choose to bring challenged material into consideration for removal at his discretion.
- It is the opinion of the Media coordinator that a film is an important form of artistic expression; feature films will be selected due to their importance, influence, or cultural significance regardless of being directly linked to a particular curriculum.
[ Last Revised on May 17, 2023 ]