Streaming Video Orders Fall 2023

If you are thinking about requesting streaming media titles for your Fall 2023 classes, here are some important updates:

1. All Fall 2023 requests must be submitted using the Classroom Media Form by Friday September 29, 2023 5:00pm EST.  RIT Libraries cannot guarantee purchases after this date. This will give us enough time to review, provide you with updates and process your requests.
    
2. RIT Libraries does not purchase streaming media titles in perpetuity.  You must submit a new request for titles that you may have ordered for previous semesters.
    
3. In order to manage the constraints of our limited budget, we will use the following criteria to purchase titles,

• Title(s) must be requested for a Fall 2023 class.
• If the title is readily available as a pay-per-view or on demand title, we will provide faculty with a link to those options.  We will not purchase a streaming vendor version if the title is readily available for viewing.*
• If we do have to purchase a streaming version through a vendor, we will evaluate the cost per title against average costs of similar titles.

*Many feature and current films are available without a membership on several platforms for a minimal cost (usually $2.99- $5.99).  Faculty members are encouraged to suggest these access options for students and include this information in course syllabi or materials.

In order to manage the rising costs of streaming media, many academic institutions suggest this as an option and let students know that paying for film access for course study can be considered equivalent to requiring textbooks or lab materials for a course.

4. No DVDs will be digitized or activated from Panopto without a current search by RIT Libraries for legally available streamed and captioned content.  

• If you usually ask ILI/TLS to activate titles from the Panopto server or request that a DVD be digitized, please be aware that this process has changed and will require more time to evaluate titles and access.  Most films and videos are copyrighted and their use is subject to copyright restrictions.  It is not advisable to copy or rip DVDs and distribute them to students – in many cases this would be a violation of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act and could lead to hefty penalties.  
   
• If the DVD is owned by RIT Libraries, you can still show that DVD during an in-person class or recommend students watch it in the library.   

Remember to fill out the Media Request Form with any titles (as well as new requests) you need by Friday September 29, 2023 5:00pm EST. .  The processing time to activate a title or to provide pay-per-view options could exceed 5-10 business days.  We cannot guarantee purchases after this date.