Library Services for Faculty

PennWest University Libraries offers licensed streaming videos through Academic Video Online (AVON), Films on Demand, Digital Theatre+, Kanopy, and Swank. Availability falls into two basic categories:

• Subscription databases, including  Academic Video Online (AVON), Films on Demand, and Digital Theatre+: all titles are available for immediate use in in-person and online classes.
• A la carte collections through Kanopy and Swank: individual titles are purchased by faculty request.

For Faculty: Request Streaming Videos

• Request titles using the Faculty Streaming Video request form.
• Requests will be evaluated based on need and budget constraints.
• Titles are generally purchased as 1-year licenses and renewed based on need.
• Please allow up to a week for processing, though we can do rush orders.
• Swank and Kanopy are preferred platforms for individual title licensing, but if necessary we will attempt to acquire it on another streaming platform.

Using Streaming Video in Your Courses: Video Linking and Embedding

For assistance creating links and embedding streaming video content into your D2L courses or for classroom viewing, please see our Video Linking and Embedding guide.

Academic Video Online (AVON) includes over 80,000 titles on topics across the curriculum, including anthropology, business, counseling, film, health, history, music, and more. Formats include documentaries, interviews, TED talks, news programs, feature films, and archival footage. Major partners include PBS, 60-Minutes, Insight Media, Sony Pictures Classics, Filmmakers Library, CNN, and BBC.

Digital Theatre+ includes over 900 complete productions from Shakespeare to contemporary theatre; in-depth interviews with actors, directors, producers, and backstage crew; and teaching guides.

Films on Demand includes over 23,000 titles from all academic subjects but is particularly strong in the social sciences and humanities. Formats include documentaries, interviews, news programs, and archival footage. Major partners include Films for the Humanities, BBC, PBS, Meridian, National Geographic, A & E, and Cambridge Education.

Kanopy includes documentaries, classic movies, indie films, and world cinema. Major providers include PsychoTherapy.net, Media Education Foundation, Criterion Collection, BBC, Great Courses, and more.

• Access to films on Kanopy is limited to titles requested by faculty for classroom use. 

Requesting a Kanopy Film for Classroom Use:

1. Search Kanopy to locate films. 

2. "Request Access" in Kanopy or submit requests using the Faculty Streaming Video Request Form.

All Kanopy films licensed to PennWest may be shown in the classroom and linked in D2L. Some titles come with public performance rights for campus events that do not charge admission fees. Look for the PPR icon on the film's detail page. 

Swank is a leading provider of streaming access to major motion pictures, classic and international films, tv shows, and documentaries for universities, with a catalog of 30,000 titles.

• Access to films on Swank is limited to titles requested by faculty for classroom use. 

Requesting a Swank Film for Classroom Use: 

1. Search the Swank Digital Campus catalog.

2. Submit your requests using the Faculty Streaming Video Request Form. 

Swank licensed films may be shown in class or linked in D2L to view outside of class. Please note that these film licenses do not include public performance rights. Swank streaming films are only for use in PennWest courses as required course content. For more information, review Swank's copyright policy on Legal Academic Streaming.