Stark Media Services, located in Hillman Library, provides access to more than 15,000 DVDs, videos, laserdiscs, and 16mm films. The collection primarily supports classroom instruction across disciplines with an emphasis on Film Studies. Most items in the collection are available for a two-week loan to University of Pittsburgh students, staff, and faculty with a valid Pitt ID. For more information about Stark Media Services, including our hours, an FAQ, and forms that faculty can use to place films on reserve or request that the library purchase new DVDs, films, or videos, please visit our website.
Films and videos are also available at each of the other four Pitt campuses. While the collections at Johnstown and Titusville only circulate to instructors, the films at Bradford and Greensburg can be checked out by anyone with a valid Pitt ID. For more information about the films at Greensburg, please visit the Carl F. Poke Media Collection website; to request films from another campus use the Requst function, for more information click here.
Please feel free to contact the Staff of Stark Media Services Center if you have any questions or suggestions, or if you require any additional assistance! uls-starkmediaservices@pitt.edu
United States copyright law clearly allows DVDs, videos, and films to be used for classroom instruction. As of October 24, 2012 (under US copyright law section 1201 updated every three years by the Librarian of Congress), professors and students are also permitted to use excerpts from motion pictures or films to create clip compilations and new works made for the purpose of criticism or comment, such as documentaries or "video essays."
Any other use may require a special license. This includes all film screenings open to the public or held in a public space, whether admission is charged or not. A guide to locating rights holders can be found here. Additional information is available on the Motion Picture Association of America's Public Performance Law website.
Additional information about copyright and fair use can be found from the ULS at What is Fair Use? and Showing Films, Videos, and TV Programs.
There is more information at the Association of Research Libraries' Copyright & Intellectual Policies page and the Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center.
If you have any other questions, please ask us or contact the Stark Media Services directly!
