Power Visual Resources Library

The Power Visual Resources Library provides support for teaching and research in the Department of Art History and Film Studies. The library maintains collections of visual material and provides several services to teaching staff and students within the department.

Collections

Digital Images

The digital image archive currently contains over 25,000 high resolution images of works from prehistoric to modern times. The collection concentrates on images of interest to students enrolled in Art History and Film Studies courses, and its development is managed in consultation with academic staff from the department. Approximately 5,000 new images are added to the database annually.

Film

The library maintains a collection of the films listed in the curriculum of the various film studies courses offered by the department. These are held in DVD and VHS format and may be booked for viewing in the Visual Resources Library. The collection currently contains over 750 films and approximately 100 new titles are added each year.

35mm Slides

The library maintains a legacy collection of more than 130,000 glass-mounted 35mm slides, one of the most comprehensive collections of its type in Australia. Slide projection is no longer supported by the University of Sydney, however slide images required for teaching or tutorial use can be digitized upon request. The Collection is available to staff and students for browsing during office hours.

Services and Facilities

Digitization, Photography and Scanning

The library provides a variety of digitization services to staff and students of the Department of Art History and Film Studies, including digital photography, slide scanning, flatbed scanning, and image processing.

Staff may request image creation from publications to support teaching (subject to copyright approval), and may request digitization of selected 35mm slides from our collection, or from their personal collections. Staff may also submit personal digital photographs for addition to the archive.

The library also provides a VHS to DVD transfer service, as VHS playback is no longer supported by the University of Sydney. Materials on tape that are required for teaching and are not otherwise available can be transferred to disc, subject to copyright approval. Please contact the library staff for further information about this service.

Online image database

The Visual Resource Library digital archive is available online to staff and students of the Department of Art History and Theory at http://mdid.arts.usyd.edu.au. New staff members may contact the Visual Resources Librarian for access to the collection, and students can obtain login details from their tutors and lecturers.

Academics in the Department of Art History and Film Studies may directly upload images for teaching to the main collection, and may also create personal repositories of research images in private online collections. Teaching staff can create online slideshows of images in the collection. These slideshows can be projected in lectures or tutorials, and linked to WebCT pages for personal access by students.

Online Film Catalogue

The Visual Resources Library's film catalogue can be accessed via the online database at http://mdid.arts.usyd.edu.au. The catalogue lists all films held in the collection, as well as film stills and other images pertaining to cinema studies.

Technical Support

Visual Resources Library staff provide support to teaching staff in the use of Photoshop, PowerPoint and other image processing and presentation software. Library staff can provide advice on standards and procedures for photography and digitisation projects, and general technical assistance in relation to lecture, tutorial and seminar presentations.

Film Viewing and Seminars

The Visual Resources Library maintains a media access room which can be used for film viewing by individuals or groups. This room may also be booked for occasional seminars or group study by lecturers and tutors from the Department of Art History and Film Studies. Undergraduate students may also book the viewing facilities for individual or group use from 10:00-5:00 Monday-Friday.

Image Presentation Equipment

The library provides a selection of equipment to support image creation and presentation including film and digital cameras, photographic copystands, slide viewers and projectors, laptop computers, portable data projectors, voice note-takers, and laser pointers.

Teaching staff and postgraduate students may use this equipment at any time during opening hours, subject to availability, and may borrow some equipment for use off-site.

Library Opening Hours

Monday to Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm

For further assistance please contact:

Visual Resources Librarian
Assistant Visual Resources Librarian

Visual Resources Library
Department of Art History and Film Studies
Room 211
R.C. Mills Building (A26)
University of Sydney Sydney 2006

Tel: 61 2 9351 3103 or 9351 5396
Fax: 61 2 9351 4212