streaming video |

New Docuseek Videos

September 12, 2023 by Cheryl | 0 comments

New videos from Docuseek image with screenshots of 5 videos.

Docuseek continues to add interesting new documentaries to its streaming platform. One of our awesome library student assistants, Izumi Watt, selected and summarized five of these new titles below.

Breaking the Model screenshot. — **Breaking the Model**

This film combines four short documentaries highlighting stories of immigrants to America from Korea, Cambodia, China, and Japan. The films are: A Portrait of Us, directed by Sarah Park; Conversations at the Register by Brandon Soun and Lan Nguyen; What Remains by Ginger Yifan Chen; and Sincerely Miné Okubo, directed by Yuka Murakami.

Matter Out of Place screenshot. — **Matter Out of Place**

The phrase “Matter Out of Place” refers to any object or impact not native to the immediate environment. Nikolaus Geyrhalter, the director, travels all over the world to put a spotlight on various examples of matter out of place. The documentary focuses on the expanding problem of human-made refuse and the endless struggle to control it.

Directed by Eric Khoo, this film shares the life and creations of Yoshihiro Tatsumi, inspired by his book A Drifting Life and five of his iconic stories. Tatsumi’s works follow his experiences with high and low moments in life. His artistic style of gekiga (dramatic pictures) transformed the manga landscape in the mid-1900s.

The Pretendians screenshot. — **The Pretendians**

The Pretendians, directed by Paul Kemp with Drew Hayden Taylor, discusses indigenous identity and appropriation of the rights of native people in Canada and the United States. Drew Hayden Taylor, an Anishinaabe author from Curve Lake First Nations, visits gift shops, universities, and reservation gas stations to investigate instances of fraud related to falsely claimed indigenous identity by “Pretend Indians.”

Windshipped screenshot. — **Windshipped**

The Apollonia is a schooner, a type of sailing ship with two or more masts. She is captained by Sam Merrett as the crew ships freight up and down the Hudson River. Windshipped, directed by Jon Bowermaster, follows the ship and crew as they revive an age-old method of moving products to cities along the banks of the river. This practice of sail freight attracts businesses interested in sustainable and carbon neutral options for shipping their products.

We hope you find these videos as interesting and informative as we did!

As a reminder, all current Leeward CC faculty, staff and students are welcome to use our streaming video services. When accessing our electronic resources from off campus, you may be prompted to log in with your UH credentials first.

Streaming Video Updates

June 21, 2023 by Cheryl | 0 comments

Seen any good movies lately? Crowds may be flocking to the theaters for live-action Disney mermaids and high-jumping Nintendo characters, but the library provides you with the best in academic video streaming from the comfort of your own home . . . or maybe even from the beach, weather permitting!

Kanopy, Docuseek, Academic Video Online, Feature Films for Education, and Swank Digital Campus are among our major streaming film platforms. We introduced you to all of these (and more) in a series of blog posts last summer. Perhaps you may recall, from the post on electronic resource access models, that some of our platforms regularly add and remove titles from their collections. Today’s post will give you content updates from two such platforms: Kanopy and Docuseek.

Kanopy Additions and Removals

Picture of a film strip with text: New update Kanopy.

There’s been a lot of activity on Kanopy, one of our largest streaming services.

Additions 😊

See the list of films that were added to Kanopy in the past 90 days.
See the list of films that will be added to Kanopy in the next 90 days.

Removals 😢

See the list of films that were removed from Kanopy in the past 90 days.
See the list of films that will be removed from Kanopy in the next 90 days.

If you notice that a film you need for your class has been (or is scheduled to be) removed from Kanopy, please contact your librarian subject liaison or the Reference Desk. It is possible we may be able to acquire it in another way, or help you explore other options.

Docuseek New Additions

Picture of a movie marquee with text: New Films on Docuseek.

More than 100 new titles have been added to our Docuseek platform recently. The titles below, with vendor-supplied descriptions, are just a handful of the newly available documentaries.

Screenshot of film: The American Dream — **The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales**

Filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail Disney grapples with America’s profound inequality crisis. The story begins in 2018, after Abigail encounters workers at the company that bears her name struggling to put food on the table. Could she, a descendent, with no role in the multinational conglomerate, use her famous last name to help pressure Disney and other American corporations to treat low-wage workers more humanely?

Screenshot of film: We Are Unarmed. — **We Are Unarmed**

A chronicle of resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), WE ARE UNARMED bears witness to this historic event from the first week of September 2016 to forced evacuation on February 23rd, 2017. Award-winning filmmaker Gwendolen Cates goes behind the scenes with three Lakota women who play central roles – Kelly Morgan, the tribal archaeologist, Phyllis Young, the longtime activist who became the movement spokesperson and strategist, and Holy Elk Lafferty, the young camp leader.

Screenshot of film: Zero Gravity — **Zero Gravity**

ZERO GRAVITY follows a diverse group of middle school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station. Their mission: compete with teams across the country to write the most strategic code for surveying satellites, known as SPHERES. These satellites will help map out a GPS system to successfully orbit Mars in the future, opening the door to infinite opportunities and exploration on the Red Planet.

Screenshot of film: The Only Son — **The Only Son**

A story about the challenge of keeping Dolpo’s ancient culture alive as the area becomes less isolated. It centers on Pema’s parents’ expectation that Pema will return to Dolpo when he completes his education, marry a Dolpapa woman, and manage the family’s land. As the only son, this is his role in Dolpo’s traditional culture. Pema is torn between his duty to the family and his desire to live the modern life that he now prefers.

Screenshot of film: Town Destroyer — **Town Destroyer**

Town Destroyer explores the ways we look at art and history at a time of racial reckoning. The story focuses on a dispute over historic murals depicting the life of George Washington: slaveowner, general, land speculator, President, and a man Seneca leaders called “Town Destroyer” after he ordered their villages destroyed during the Revolutionary War.

There are countless hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Let us know what you find!

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.

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.

. . . and that’s a wrap!

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: Docuseek

June 28, 2022 by Cheryl | 0 comments

Over the last few weeks, we gave you an overview of the library’s streaming video platforms, introduced you to Academic Video Online (AVON), and shared some great resources for feature films. This time our focus is on Docuseek, our newest streaming platform.

Docuseek at a glance

Provides access to more than 2,000 documentaries from independent distributors.
Content providers include Bullfrog Films, Icarus Films, Collective Eye, GOOD DOCS, and more.
Covers a wide range of subjects, with an emphasis on social issues, anthropology, environmental issues, and history.
These films are generally not available through other streaming platforms.

Using Docuseek

To access this resource, start at our A-Z Databases page and select Docuseek from the list. If you are off campus, you may be prompted to enter your UH login first.

The home page displays popular/timely films and top subjects.

Click on the Browse link at the top of the screen for an A-Z list of films available, the Subjects link to view films categorized by hundreds of subject areas, or the Search icon to perform a title or keyword search.

Screenshot showing the Browse, Subjects, and Search functions on the Docuseek homepage.

After performing a search or browsing the A-Z list of films available, you may filter your results by subject, year, or source (distributor). Enter your criteria in the left sidebar, then click on the Filter button. Advanced search functions are available by clicking on the More search options button.

Screenshot showing Docuseek filter options.

After selecting a video, you may generate a direct link by clicking on Embed. Many videos have transcripts, which may be viewed by clicking on the Transcript button. Some videos even have interactive transcripts that allow you to click on a section of text to skip to the corresponding part of the video.

Screenshot showing Embed and Transcript features in Docuseek.

Additional features, such as creating clips and playlists, are available to registered users. Register for your free personal account by clicking on the Register link at the top of any page.

Screenshot showing Docuseek Register link.

Electronic Resource Access Models

June 21, 2022 by Cheryl | 0 comments

Line drawing of a person with a frustrated expression, looking at a computer. — **“I could have sworn I saw it here before . . . “**

Has this ever happened to you? You stumble upon a series on Netflix, watch every episode, and really enjoy it. A year later, you decide to re-watch it, only to find that it has vanished without a trace! What happened?

In short, Netflix doesn’t own all of the content that is made available through the platform. They negotiate licensing agreements with the content owners, and some of these agreements expire. If you want guaranteed access to your favorite show, you usually need to purchase it, either on DVD or through a different streaming service.

Many of the library’s electronic resources operate in much the same manner. Read on to learn about two of our main access models–subscription and perpetual–and how the type of model may affect the resources you use.

Subscription model

With the subscription model, we usually pay an annual fee that gives our users access to everything that is currently included in the collection. Examples of subscription resources:

Academic Video Online (AVON) (79,000+ videos)
Ebook Central Academic Complete (222,000+ ebooks)
Academic Search Complete (8,000+ ejournals and emagazines) and other EBSCO databases

What’s great about this model?

It offers a large amount of content that would be unaffordable if purchased individually.
The collections are continually refreshed with new content.
There is usually no limit to the number of simultaneous users.

What’s not so great about this model?

We cannot select the individual titles included in the collections.
A relatively small amount of content is removed periodically, and we have no control over what is removed.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation where you can’t find an ebook or video that you know you’ve seen before, chances are it was a subscription title that was removed from the platform. Vendors generally add and remove content throughout the year, but some do their large removals in the summer and at the end of the year.

For example, this is the list of ebooks that will be removed from Ebook Central after June 30, and this is the list of videos leaving Academic Video Online after July 11.

Perpetual access model

With the perpetual access model, we purchase the titles we want, and they are ours for as long as we have access to the platform. This purchasing model is available on many of the same platforms that offer subscription collections.

What’s great about this model?

We select only the titles we want, so we have greater control over the collection.
These titles will not disappear unexpectedly.
Some ebooks are priced for one, three, or unlimited simultaneous users, so we may select the option that best fits our needs.

What’s not so great about this model?

Not all titles are available for purchase, and some are only available for one user at a time.
Prices can be very high, depending on the title.
Titles in rapidly changing fields will be outdated in a few years.

How can I tell if the ebook or video I want to use for my class is going to be there for sure?

Unfortunately, you probably can’t tell, so it’s best that you contact your library liaison or lccref@hawaii.edu to check. If your title is part of a subscription package, it is sometimes possible to purchase it under a perpetual access model, as well. For some streaming videos, limited-term licenses may also be available; this works well in situations where the video is needed for 1-3 years, but not permanently.

The key takeaway here is that it is a good idea to contact us if you are planning to use an ebook, streaming video, or other library resource for a class assignment or other important purpose. We cannot guarantee that perpetual access will be available for everything, but we will make every effort to prevent unpleasant surprises from happening.

Now, if Netflix would only bring back Friends . . .

Streaming Videos at Leeward CC: Feature Films

June 14, 2022 by Cheryl | 0 comments

In the past few weeks, we gave you an overview of our streaming video platforms and an introduction to Academic Video Online (AVON). This week, our focus is on feature films. Many of our streaming platforms offer at least a few feature films, but two of our resources really showcase them: Feature Films for Education and Swank Digital Campus.

Feature Films for Education

Feature Films for Education at a glance

Currently contains 693 films, with new titles added periodically.
Content is primarily from 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, and related labels.
Films on this platform are generally not available on our other streaming platforms.
Includes classic films as well as more recent blockbusters and Academy Award winners.

Using Feature Films for Education

To access this resource, start at our A-Z Databases page and select Feature Films for Education from the list. If you are off campus, you may be prompted to enter your UH login first.

Use the search box in the top middle of the page to enter a video title or keywords, or click on the Menu in the top left corner to browse by title or genre.

Feature Films for Education screenshot showing search and browse features.

After entering a search, you may use the filters in the right sidebar to specify a genre, language or copyright date.

Screenshot showing filters in right sidebar.

Click on the film you wish to view. From the next page, you may generate direct links to the video, or press the Play button to see playback options.

Screenshot showing embed/link and playback functions.

Select one of the playback options to view the video. Some films also have audio in Spanish. You may expand the video to fullscreen, skip forward or backward, and play the video at a faster or slower speed.

Swank Digital Campus

Our second major resource for feature films is Swank Digital Campus.

Swank Digital Campus at a glance

We currently have 23 films licensed.
Swank is different from most of our other resources in that we do not subscribe to a collection, but are allotted a set number of licenses each year. Titles are licensed individually, upon instructor request, for a 1-year term.
More than 25,000 titles are available to be licensed, including films from major studios such as Disney, Paramount, Sony, Warner, and more.
Swank titles are licensed only for instructional use in class. They may not be shown for campus/club events or other non-coursework purposes.

Using Swank Digital Campus

To access this resource, start at our A-Z Databases page and select Swank Digital Campus from the list. If you are off campus, you may be prompted to enter your UH login first.

Next, you will be prompted to indicate your campus role. Select Student if you simply wish to view the films available in our portal. If you are an instructor and would like to request a title for your class, you may select Instructor and create an account. View this video for information on creating an instructor account, and this video for the title request process.

Swank screenshot showing campus role selection.

Note that a few titles have special restrictions that prevent them from being visible to students in our portal, even though they are licensed to us. These Restricted titles may only be shared with students via direct link (ideally through Laulima). If you are an instructor and request a restricted title, we will send you the direct link once the title is licensed. You may also generate a link by logging in with your instructor account.

Click on any film, then select the Watch button to view it, or the Share button to generate a direct link.

Screenshot showing functions for watching films and generating direct links.

When playing a video, you may click on the Menu icon (3 dots in the lower right corner of the screen) for audio and subtitle options. Depending on the film, various languages may be available.

Screenshot showing menu for audio and subtitle options.

If you would like to request a video for use in your class but don’t want to create an instructor account, please contact us at lccref@hawaii.edu. We have a limited number of licenses available each year, but will do our best to fulfill your request.

Streaming Videos at Leeward CC: Academic Video Online (AVON)

June 8, 2022 by Cheryl | 0 comments

Last week, we gave you an overview of the major streaming video platforms available to Leeward CC students, faculty and staff. This week, we will focus on our largest platform, Academic Video Online (AVON).

Academic Video Online banner with link to site.

AVON at a glance

Currently contains more than 79,000 videos.
New titles are added every month. Titles are also removed periodically.
Includes documentaries, instructional material, newsreels, performances, interviews, and other content types.
Covers a wide range of subject areas, including social sciences, history, business, education, and performing arts.
Provides content in dozens of languages, such as Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and Korean.

Using AVON

To access AVON, start at our A-Z Databases page and select Academic Video Online (AVON) from the list. If you are off campus, you may be prompted to enter your UH Login first.

Use the search box in the top right corner to enter a video title or keywords and search the current channel.

Enter title or keywords in search box at top right of screen.

Click on the Filter icon to narrow your search results by subject, publisher, person, content type, language, or release date. Filters can be set before or after you enter your search term(s).

Filter button is in the middle of the page, above the videos.

Click on any video for more details, or to view, cite, or share it. You may click on the Transcript feature to read the transcript as you watch the video, or to skip to a section of interest.

Transcripts can be viewed alongside video and can be used for navigation.

Click on the Share icon to generate direct links to the video.

Direct links are accessed via the Share icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.

Permalink, embed, and social media sharing options are available.

Additional features are available. Watch these videos to learn more about using AVON:

For information on embedding videos in Laulima, please refer to this guide: Linking to Articles, E-Books, and Videos.

Ethnographic Video Online

Ethnographic Video Online, Vol. III: Indigenous Voices is a subset of AVON that focuses on films made by and for indigenous people and communities. The collection consists of 653 videos to which we have permanent access (unlike the vast majority of AVON content that is subscription-based). Ethnographic Video Online titles may be accessed within AVON or via the separate Ethnographic Video Online channel.

Hosted content

The library also uses AVON to host a limited number of videos that are not part of the AVON subscription. We currently have three titles available:

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.

Sample films available from Feature Films for Education. — Films available from Feature Films for Education.

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.

Platform	Model	Content	Titles	Notes
Academic Video Online (AVON)	Subscription	Documentaries, tutorials, performances, and more.	79,240	Includes hosted content and Ethnographic Video Online titles.
Docuseek	Subscription	Documentaries on social and environmental issues.	2,182	Primarily exclusive content from independent filmmakers.
Ethnographic Video Online	Perpetual	Films by and for indigenous people and communities.	653	Content is also included in Academic Video Online (AVON).
Feature Films for Education	Subscription	Feature films from 20th Century Fox and related labels.	693	These titles are generally not available on other platforms.
Films on Demand	Licensed selectively	Documentaries and other educational films.	8	Titles licensed upon faculty request.
Kanopy	Pay-per-view and licensed selectively	Feature films, documentaries, foreign films, classics, and more.	28,089	Library pays a small fee per view; heavily used titles are licensed.
Swank Digital Campus	Licensed selectively	Feature films from Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, and other major studios.	23	Titles 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!

Kanopy Additions and Removals

Additions 😊

Removals 😢

Docuseek New Additions

Kanopy at a glance

Using Kanopy

Keeping Kanopy affordable

Top 10 Kanopy videos at Leeward CC

. . . and that’s a wrap!

Docuseek at a glance

Using Docuseek

Top 5 Docuseek videos at Leeward CC

Subscription model

What’s great about this model?

What’s not so great about this model?

Perpetual access model

What’s great about this model?

What’s not so great about this model?

How can I tell if the ebook or video I want to use for my class is going to be there for sure?

Feature Films for Education

Feature Films for Education at a glance

Using Feature Films for Education

Top 10 Feature Films for Education videos at Leeward CC

Swank Digital Campus

Swank Digital Campus at a glance

Using Swank Digital Campus

Top 10 Swank Digital Campus videos at Leeward CC

AVON at a glance

Using AVON

Ethnographic Video Online

Hosted content

Top 10 AVON videos at Leeward CC

Streaming Video DOs and DON’Ts

DO 🙂

DON’T 🙁