A question of longevity: ongoing value of documentary film in an academic library
| Date | 06 August 2024 |
| Pages | 105-110 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/CC-12-2023-0042 |
| Published date | 06 August 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Collection building & management |
| Author | Susannah Benedetti,Jeanne G. Cross |
A question of longevity: ongoing value of
documentary film in an academic library
Susannah Benedetti and Jeanne G. Cross
Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to examine the use of physical and streaming documentary film collections available in a mid-sized acade mic library,
specifically relating to the length of time that documentary films may remain relevant for curricular use.
Design/methodology/approach –The authors defined documentary film for the purposes of the study and created data sets of our non-fiction film
holdings. They weeded out titles that could not be defined as documentaries and ran use reports for streaming and physical collections. They also
used Power BI to visualize the data more clearly.
Findings –The authors found that documentary films could remain useful for 25 years, with certain films remaining relevant even longer.
Originality/value –These findings indicate that purchasing or licensing streaming documentary film packages provides value, including older
content. In addition, the authors will continue to make purchases of physical DVD or Blu Ray content when necessary and keep these collections up
to 30 years before heavily weeding them.
Keywords Collection assessment, Academic library, Documentary film, DVD collection, Streaming film
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Documentary films are unique among moving images in that
they are non-fiction productions that use rhetorical persuasion
in presenting evidence. Scottish filmmaker John Grierson,
credited with coining the term documentary film in 1926,
defined them as the “artistic representation of actuality”
(Aufderheide, 2007). This hallmark of factual realism gives
documentaries power beyond educational films such as filmed
laboratory techniques, language learning exercises and how-to
training demonstrations, and in the best cases can result in
potent and compellingproductions. One can look from Nanook
of the North (1922) to Navalny (2022) for a century’s worth of
documentaries that have explained, enlightened and exposed
viewers to knowledge, diverse perspectives and new or
impactful insights and experiences. Libraries have long
collected these films on evolving media formats from 35-mm
film to streaming.
As an academic library we are feeling the push for increased
collaboration and study space for students, mirroring
nationwide library trends. With physical space at a premium,
collection analysis is critical. Without resources to warehouse
collections that no longer serve a purpose, we evaluate
and weigh our physical collections for curricular need and
usefulness. In terms of online resources, purchasing and
subscribing to streaming video are now ubiquitous and have
come to account for a significant portion of our collections
budget over the past 10years. When making acquisitions
decisions we must be careful to select and retain relevant titles
and collectionsthat will be used.
When evaluating our video collections, we had questions
about the relevance of older documentary films and whether
they are still being used. How long does documentary film
content remain valuablefor an academic library?
Literature review
Even before the term documentary film was coined, early 20th
century non-fictionfilms called “educationals,”“actualities”or
“interest films”were used for education (Aufderheide, 2007).
Specialized catalogs of such 35-mm films were available in the
USA by 1910 “for Universities, Colleges, Scientificand
Literary Institutions, and TravelingLecturers”(Elliott, 1948).
Films presenting sightsand scenes of everyday life as well as the
exotic provided more than novelty entertainment; they were
recognized early on as havingthe newfound capacity to expand
viewers’horizons by “conveying indirect experiences and
camera impressions that added to the viewer’s repertoire of
The formalization of this promise continued in the 1920s with
Eastman Kodak Companyfounding a division to produce films
created specifically for educational purposes (Burlingame and
Farmer, 1975). The production of non-fiction films expanded
widely after the Second World War, with 16-mm safety film
and lightweight cameras and projectors allowing a larger
number and wider variety of films to be createdand distributed
for non-theatrical exhibition, including for institutions of
higher education.
The current issue and full text archiveof this journal is available on Emerald
Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/2514-9326.htm
Collection and Curation
43/4 (2024) 105–110
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 2514-9326]
[DOI 10.1108/CC-12-2023-0042]
This article was reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief rather than being
reviewed by two anonymous referees.
Received 13 December 2023
Revised 12 March 2024
Accepted 12 March 2024
105
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