Collections: Introduction
Whether you’re developing a video collection or just looking for a digital audio recording by a famous peacemaker, this website is intended to provide users with a wide range of audio, video, and visual resources. It will explore both site-based collections including tape, CDs, DVD, and other materials, along with virtual digital collections archived on hard drives or available on the Internet like streaming video and podcasts.
Today's Libraries
From novels to dictionaries, our libraries are filled with the printed word. Text is often the most efficient and effective way to communicate an idea. However the introduction of low-cost, easy-to-use technology for developing and disseminating digital audio and video is having a profound impact on how people communicate. No longer are information seekers restricted to what they read on a page.
Adding the visual and auditory channels of communication enriches the learning experience. For example, you learn American Sign Language (ASL) by seeing the movement of the hand.
Or, you can learn to play the guitar using a book and an audio CD like Learn to Play Guitar: 10 Easy Lessons.
Audio and video also contribute to evolving leisure activities. For instance, you can visit the The Aviator website and watch a movie trailer and listen to a portion of the soundtrack.
Audio and video can be powerful information resources. Have you ever noticed how a piece of music can take you back to a particular time or place? What about recalling a favorite scene from a movie that you saw five or fifteen years?
Let's combine movies and music together. Go to Film Tracks and find an audio clip from a movie that reminds you of a specific time or place. You can find particular movies by clicking on the alphabetical listing. You will need Real Audio software to stream most of the clips.
Experience Topics
To really experience many topics, you need a wide range of materials. For example if you're studying the Holocaust, you might want sounds, photos, CDs, DVD, and websites, along with books, primary source documents, diaries, kits, and maps. How about collecting oral histories using audio and video recorders?
A combination of these materials can provide a rich learning experience. For example, you might use the movie Schindler's List with the Schindler's List Teaching Guide from The Southern Institute for Education and Research at Tulane University. A virtual trip could be made to the Holocaust Memorial Museum, perhaps to focus on the music that was heard in the ghettos, concentration camps, and partisan outposts. You could adapt The Holocaust WebQuest by R.L. Lawson or other learning materials to fit the needs of a group of middle school students.