How to search for videos in the UW Libraries Catalog
All media (including videos, DVDs, and CDs) owned by the UW Libraries can be found in the UW Libraries Catalog. This page explains how to search by title, actor or director, genre, and keyword. To use this tutorial, click on the type of search and follow the instructions below.
If you have additional questions, please contact Media Collection staff at taclibav or (253) 692-4643. For immediate assistance, please contact the Reference Desk.
Choosing a search
To only view the Media Collection's holdings when doing any search, limit the location to Tacoma Campus Library.
Use if.
• you know the exact title of the film you are looking for
Type in the title exactly as it appears, i.e. Million Dollar Baby. Omit any articles (i.e. a, the, and their equivalents in other languages) as the UW Catalog does not recognize them. For example, input The Maltese Falcon as Maltese Falcon or La Dolce Vita as Dolce Vita.
If you only know a portion of the title, you're unsure as to whether you know the exact title, or the title is relatively common (i.e. Hamlet), try an Advanced Keyword search instead.
Use if.
• you want to find all the films in our collection with a certain director, producer, writer, or actor, i.e. you want to look at which Hitchcock films we own.
Type in the individual's name last name first, i.e. Welles Orson, or last name only, i.e. Brando.
If the name you are looking for is relatively common (i.e. Smith Kevin), or you want to search for multiple authors (i.e. Howard and Hanks), try an Advanced Keyword search instead.
Use if.
• you want to look at all the videos in a specific genre (i.e. science fiction films or comedy films)
To see some examples of genres and browse the UW Tacoma Library holdings, visit the Media Collection's genre page. If you don't know the exact genre name, or you want to combine a genre (i.e. documentary films) with a more specific subject (i.e. environmental science), try an Advanced Keyword search instead.
Use if.
• you only know a portion of the title or author's name
• you want to combine search terms (Title, Author, and/or Subject)
• you want to limit your results to videos
• you are unsure of which search method is best for you, or if your results using another search method were unsatisfactory
Choose the appropriate field and type in your search terms, i.e. Title: Samurai and Author: Kurosawa and Any Field: DVD. Limit the Publication Type to Videos, Slides, Media. A simplified version of this search is available at the Media Collection's Search for videos & other media page.
Examining your results
To find your desired video within the list of search results, look for items marked "[videorecording]" or "motion picture". Once you find the video you want, the shaded box below the title on the item's catalog record page will verify its location, call number, and status. See the Media Collection's Using videos & other media page for additional information on obtaining and borrowing videos, including those from other UW campuses.
Other helpful hints
• You can limit an Advanced Keyword search to DVDs or VHS tapes by selecting Any Field: and typing in either DVD or VHS.
• Many films will have several different entries. This is due to the fact that each edition (i.e. Full screen versus Widescreen), format (i.e. VHS versus DVD), or distributor (i.e. 20 th Century Fox versus CBS/Fox Video) requires its own separate record. Be sure to examine all your results thoroughly in order to determine our complete holdings.
