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Streaming Videos at Leeward CC: Kanopy

July 12, 2022 by Cheryl | 0 comments

Over the past two months we introduced you to resources for streaming videos at Leeward CC, including Academic Video Online (AVON), Feature Films for Education/Swank Digital Campus, and Docuseek. For the final post of this series, we’ve saved the (arguably) best for last: Kanopy.

Kanopy logo and sample film displayed on laptop and mobile phone.
Image source: Kanopy, Inc.

Kanopy at a glance

  • Currently contains more than 28,000 films, with new titles added periodically.
  • Offers something for everyone, including feature films, documentaries, classics, foreign films, and more.
  • Suppliers include The Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, A&E, The History Channel, Kino Lorber, A24 Films, Magnolia Pictures, and many more.
  • Operates on a pay-per-use model (we are charged a small fee each time a video is played).
  • We also have the option to purchase up-front licenses for high-use titles.

Using Kanopy

To access this resource, start at our A-Z Databases page and select Kanopy from the list. Kanopy requires you to use a (free) personal account. If you already have an account, click on LOG IN in the top right corner. If you need to create an account, click on LOG IN TO LEEWARD and follow the prompts. For security purposes, do not use the same password that you use for your email.

Kanopy login screen showing buttons for creating an account and logging in to an existing account.

Browse through the new releases and categories of interest on the page, or use the Browse and Search functions in the top left corner.

Kanopy screenshot showing browse and search functions.

Click on any title to get to the video page. From this page you may Play the film or add it to your Watchlist. Select the Share tab to generate direct links and citations.

Any films added to your Watchlist are accessible by clicking on My Lists from the top left corner and selecting the My Watchlist tab.

Screenshot showing My Lists and My Watchlist functions.

Kanopy has many other features, including captions, transcripts, custom playlists, and a mobile app. For more detailed information, please visit Kanopy Help.

Keeping Kanopy affordable

Kanopy offers a wide variety of quality films in an attractive user interface, so it’s a very popular resource. Our Kanopy usage has increased steadily over the years, peaking during the pandemic-induced pivot to online learning. The downside is that higher usage leads to higher costs, since the great majority of our titles are pay-per-use. The chart below illustrates the trend in our monthly pay-per-use costs from 2019 – 2021.

Chart showing Kanopy monthly pay-per-use costs increasing from Jan 2019 - Dec 2021.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to keep Kanopy affordable. You can help us out by notifying your library subject liaison or lccref@hawaii.edu if you intend to assign a Kanopy film for your class. Why?

  • Some Kanopy films are also available via other resources (such as AVON) that charge a flat subscription fee for unlimited viewing of all titles on the platform. We can see if the title you want to use is available through one of these resources instead.
  • If your title is available only through Kanopy and is likely to receive high usage (60+ views over the next year), it may be more cost-effective for us to purchase an up-front license. Licensed films do not incur additional pay-per-use fees.

Top 10 Kanopy videos at Leeward CC

What’s popular on Kanopy? Over the past 12 months, the following videos were the most viewed:

  1. The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific
  2. Miss Representation
  3. Leonardo and the Mona Lisa
  4. First Contact
  5. Decoding Neanderthals
  6. First Steps
  7. Hitler’s Art Dealer
  8. Pidgin: the Voice of Hawaiʻi 
  9. Slaying the Dragon: Media Sterotypes of Asian & Asian American Women
  10. Blue Gold: World Water Wars

. . . and that’s a wrap!

Drawing of clapperboard and film.

We hope you’ve learned something new about all of the great video resources available to you through your library. If you have any questions, please contact your library subject liaison or lccref@hawaii.edu. We are always happy to help!

Streaming Videos at Leeward CC

May 31, 2022 by Cheryl | 0 comments

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine the impact of a high-quality, well-chosen video. Fortunately, Leeward CC has access to a wide variety of streaming video content.

Films available from Kanopy
Films available from Kanopy.
Sample films available from Feature Films for Education.
Films available from Feature Films for Education.
Films available from Swank Digital Campus
Films available from Swank Digital Campus.

The table below summarizes our various streaming platforms. Click on the platform title to access the resource. Off-campus users may be prompted to sign in with their UH Login.

PlatformModelContentTitlesNotes
Academic Video Online (AVON)SubscriptionDocumentaries, tutorials, performances, and more.79,240Includes hosted content and Ethnographic Video Online titles.
DocuseekSubscriptionDocumentaries on social and environmental issues.2,182Primarily exclusive content from independent filmmakers.
Ethnographic Video OnlinePerpetualFilms by and for indigenous people and communities.653Content is also included in Academic Video Online (AVON).
Feature Films for EducationSubscriptionFeature films from 20th Century Fox and related labels.693These titles are generally not available on other platforms.
Films on DemandLicensed selectivelyDocumentaries and other educational films.8Titles licensed upon faculty request.
KanopyPay-per-view and licensed selectivelyFeature films, documentaries, foreign films, classics, and more.28,089Library pays a small fee per view; heavily used titles are licensed.
Swank Digital CampusLicensed selectivelyFeature films from Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, and other major studios.23Titles licensed upon faculty request.

Streaming Video DOs and DON’Ts

No matter which platform you use, please keep in mind these general DOs and DON’Ts:

DO 🙂

  • Show films during in-person classes.
  • Share direct links with your students so they may view films on their own.
  • View as many films as you like, as often as you like!

DON’T 🙁

  • Show films outside of class for events (free or paid) without first consulting the library.
  • Stream films over Zoom or other video conferencing services.
  • Share films with persons not affiliated with Leeward CC.

In the coming weeks, we’ll give you an overview of each of our major streaming video platforms–their content, how to access them, and the most popular titles. Perhaps you’ll discover that perfect video to enrich your coursework, augment your learning, or just enliven your weekend!

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