Multimedia Commons
Video Request Form
The Multimedia Commons houses a variety of material, equipment, and facilities. Laptops for use by Queens College students can be borrowed here, and the Library's VHS and CD-ROM audio, video, and digital text collections are housed and screened on the media viewing workstations here. Microforms can be paged and used in this area and assistance is provided for the adjacent Educational Curriculum Center. We are open at all times the Rosenthal Library is open.
Services
- Videos for Classroom Use
- Queens College Faculty may request QC and CUNY-owned videos for classroom showing. To ensure availability, we recommend at least three weeks advance booking. Consult the Faculty Video Use Policy for further information and fill out the Online Video Request Form.
- Small Group Viewing
- Queens College students can review course-related visual materials in the small group viewing areas in the Multimedia Commons. Areas are available on a first-come, first served basis to two or more present students. Bring items checked out from the Circulation/Reserve desk or title and call number information to retrieve non-reserve items from the multimedia collection.
- Finding Media in the Online Catalog
- The online catalog, CUNY+, includes records for all materials held in CUNY.
Search tip: When using CUNY+, click on “Guided Search” and select the appropriate “record type” for various material formats. Then enter a topic in the keyword field (for example, the keyword “Paris” along with the record type “film” to find QC-owned videos and other visual resources about Paris).
- Multimedia Research Consultation
- The Media Librarian is available to advise and consult with students and faculty on selections for classroom use or individual use. The librarian can help you focus on topics and identify media that meet your research needs. Upon request the Media Librarian can provide a custom-made, annotated mediagraphy for faculty on a given topic. Contact Lisa Flanzraich at Lisa.Flanzraich@qc.cuny.edu or (718) 997-3673.
- Circulation Privileges
- Most materials in the Multimedia Commons, such as videos and CD-ROMs, may be charged out directly from the Multimedia Commons Service Desk. Loan periods vary. Read the Borrowing Policies or consult with Library staff to get more details.
- Computing/Internet Access
- All computer use is subject to the Queens College computer user guidelines.
- Master Theses
- Masters degree candidates who need to submit their Masters theses for binding can do so by going to the Multimedia Commons.
- Bring three copies of the thesis along with a bursar's receipt for $25.00.
- Make sure that the sponsor's signature is on the front of the thesis and that the pages are in the right order.
- Your department will notify you when your bound thesis has been received.
Collections and Equipment
The Multimedia Commons has a variety of equipment that supports the Center's resources. Included are computer stations with a networked printer, videocassette viewing stations, microfilm/fiche readers and printers, microprint readers, CD and audiocassette players, DVD players, and photocopiers.
- CD ROMS
- The collection complements the liberal arts curriculum. Some of these include periodicals and discs to accompany books in our collection.
- CDs
- Music CDs for teaching elementary grades are available for both in-house and off-campus use. All other CDs are housed in the Music Library.
- Government Data
- We house a large collection of US government publications, published in CD-ROM format by various government agencies including Bureau of the Census, Department of Agriculture, Geological Survey, Department of Commerce, and others.
- Microinfo
- The microform holdings include microfilm, microfiche, and microcards. These encompass many journal titles, the complete New York Times from 1851 to the present, foreign language newspapers, ERIC documents, Early American Imprints, English and American Drama of the 19th Century, and other collections.
- New Immigrants Video Collection
- Through a generous gift from the Friends of the Queens College Library, the Multimedia Commons acquired a collection of videocassettes dedicated to the study of those who have immigrated to the United States within the past twenty years. We have interesting titles on immigrants from all over the world, most notably from Latin America and Asia, included in this collection.
- TESTS
- Tests on Microfiche from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) provides microfiche copies of certain unpublished tests as a service to educators and psychologists.
- TOEFL Collection
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) includes texts and audiocassettes designed to help students for whom English is a second language.
- Video/DVD Collection
- The Library holds over 2500 videos and DVD's. This is a collection strong in African-American Studies, American History, Sociology, Latin American Studies, Geography, Dance, Education, Art, Chinese Cinema, and the Sciences. All videos are indexed in CUNY+, the Library's online catalog.
Search tip: When using CUNY+ click on “Command Search” and enter “wpd=v” or “wpd=m” to view all of the visual materials (v = video and m = motion picture) owned by the library.
Borrowing Policies
Loan Period and Limits
Magazines and journals, with the exception of some juvenile titles, may not leave the Library. However, many items in the Multimedia center may be borrowed, such as most videos and materials in the ECC. Loan periods for different types of materials vary considerably. Please note, the limit for videocassettes and educational music (Connections) CDs is three per patron. Consult with staff for further information.
Fines
- Videocassettes: $10 per day late fee (maximum of $100).
- If item is lost or returned too damaged to be used, the fine is the actual cost of item plus a $10 service charge (maximum $300).
- More than $5 in fines will block patrons' Library privileges throughout all CUNY libraries.
- All persons borrowing material(s) are responsible for maintaining the condition of the item(s). Patrons who return damaged or inoperable materials are liable for fair market value replacement costs as well as processing and applicable overdue fines.
See Circulation Services for a listing of who can borrow materials and for all other formats besides videocassettes.
Faculty Video Use Policy
Almost all videos in the Library’s collection may be borrowed by all persons with Queens College Library borrowing privileges. Loan periods will vary from three hours to a maximum of seven days for most of the video collection: You may always come to the Queens College Library to borrow one.
Queens College Faculty who wish to use a video in their courses have two other options as well.
CUNY Owned Videos in the Classroom
Queens College faculty may request any video owned by a CUNY Library including Queens College by using either the online Video Request Form or a paper version available in the Library's Multimedia Commons.
- Use CUNY+ to determine the title of the video as well as the CUNY school that owns it.
- Be sure to provide at least one alternate use date in case it is unavailable for your initial requested time.
- As many of these videos may be borrowed by others, we recommend at least three weeks advance notice.
- The Library does not provide equipment for the classrooms. For a classroom showing make sure you also contact OCT to reserve viewing equipment (Kiely Hall Room 183, 718-997-5060).
- Your video request will be confirmed by email as soon as we determine its availability.
Videos and the Reserve Library
- Queens College Library videos may be placed on Reserve.
- All videos placed on Reserve must comply with Library Reserve Guidelines.
- Reserve Library video users have priority at most Library previewing stations.
- Previewing stations may not be reserved.
- No other Library's videos may be placed on Reserve.
For more information contact:
Mr. Moddie Breland
Multimedia Commons
