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How to Use the Library: for Students

Learn how to use the BU library for academic research

Where to look for videos in the Library collection

To search for video titles available to you through the BU Library collection, there are 4 locations to check - unfortunately, they aren’t all in one convenient place because of the way that vendors make their products available (often as subscription packages, sometimes as individual titles), and due to the nature of video licenses. 

1. The Library home page

  • At the One Stop Search box, you can look up a specific title, or you can do a general keyword search, and video titles will be included in your result list (both streaming videos and physical videos).  You can use the limiters in the left hand column under ‘Resource Type’ to limit to audio-visual materials.

2. Databases

  • click on Databases in the left-hand column on the library homepage. Click the dropdown at “All database types” and select “Videos”, to see video collections which you can search.
  • Here's the direct link: 

 

3. Moodle

  • Under Course Categories, click on "Library” and then choose "BU Library Videos"
  • Streaming videos (individual titles and series titles) are listed here.  Your professor may direct you here  to view the videos, or they might embed a direct link to the video in your course Moodle site.

Here's a direct link:

 

4. National Film Board of Canada (NFB) – ‘Campus’ collection

  • Some of the titles in this collection are included in our library catalogue – many are not
  • Connect to NFB Education using Single Sign-On (SSO), through your Apple, Google, or Microsoft account, and access both films and teacher resources.

Finding videos by format type

The library has purchased access to videos in a variety of formats.  

Streaming Videos

You can watch streaming videos online.

If your professor tells you that you can access a streaming video through the Library, they will likely provide you with the direct link, or instructions for where to find it. Before searching for the video through the Library site, check the access information that your instructor has given you - this will likely save you some time.  

If you don't know where a video is located, you'll need to search at the links below: 

  • If provided by your instructor, select the name of the database that contains your video. eg: Kanopy, Criterion, Psychotherapy.net, NFB then choose your title from a list, or search for your title.  

  • Otherwise, search the various databases to see if they contain the title you are looking for. 
  • To view a video, you will be asked to authenticate with your BU username (do not include @brandonu.ca) and password.
  • Under the heading Course Categories choose Library
  • Scroll to BU Library Videos and click on "Click to enter this course".  Video titles and series titles are listed alphabetically.

 

Videos in DVD or VHS format

There are also physical copies of videos in the Library collection. These will show up when you search in One Stop Search or in the Library Catalogue, and they can be signed out like books.