Olin Media Center

The Olin Media Center was recently consolidated and refurbished in July 2003. The center has three components:

  • Audiovisual materials (over 25,000, including VHS, DVD, Laserdisc, video recordings, 16mm motion pictures, commercial audio books, and Cornell University lecture tapes)
  • Newspapers (four hundred fifty-three maintained titles, of which three hundred twenty-three are current subscriptions from all over the world)
  • Microforms (over 3,275,000, including 16mm and 35mm microfilm, microfiche, microprints and microcards)

Audiovisual
After physical processing, which may include formatting, labeling, and record updating, all audio-visual materials are ready to circulate, and most are searchable in the online catalogue. The media staff also maintains a wide range of media equipment for in-house use of the collection. Additional equipment is located on the sixth floor stacks of Uris Library, the Uris Media Classroom and in the Rare and Manuscripts collection. A mobile A/V station and amplifying equipment are available for events in the Libe Café and other Olin locations. A slide projector, mobile projection screen, and recording kits are also available for loan.

The centerpiece of the Audiovisual Collection are the 5,646 titles that make up the Cornell University Lecture Series. These provide a record of every public lecture given on campus between 1970 and 1995, delivered by luminaries from all over the world.

Newspapers
Newspapers receive extensive physical processing. This may include opening mail, checking-in issues, stamping, security measures, transliteration, bundling, and recycling. One immediate challenge is the distribution, collection, and storage of newspapers in three libraries on a daily basis. Online records must be kept current and claims made when a newspaper does not arrive for an extended period of time. We also prepare specific local and university newspaper titles for microfilming and review the film upon receipt. Newspapers give patrons a media format that provides both information and relaxation. Staff members tend to the collection throughout the day, allowing our patrons to find the newspaper they want, when they want it. In addition to newspapers of record, such as the New York Times and Le Monde, we also have newspapers that offer distinct viewpoints, such as the Navajo Times, the National Catholic Reporter, and Al Hayat.

Microforms
The 3.25 million microforms in the Olin Media Center collection represent almost half of CUL’s holdings. This past year, the staff processed over 61,000 new microforms. Processing involves the online verification of bibliographic and holdings information, barcoding, repackaging film and fiche in acid free boxes and envelopes, stamping, and labeling. Users outside of the Cornell community can make use of this rich collection through Interlibrary Loan Services. An expanding collection of state of the art microform reader/printers/scanners offers our patrons the options of viewing, printing, and burning images onto CDs. These machines are user friendly, but each machine has an attached guide if needed. We are the only place on campus where legacy formats like microcards and microprints can be viewed and printed. Telesensory viewers for the visually impaired are also available.

Many premium collections can be found in our holdings. Whether you are interested in reading Pravda from the time of the Russian Revolution (microfilm 66) or newspapers from colonial and early American history (microprint 21), they await your perusal. If your research centers on what transpired in English politics during the American Revolution, visit our British Sessional Papers on microprint, and you will find documents going back to 1731. Reaching even further back in time, we have 2200 reels of Early English books from 1475 – 1640 (microfilm 470) on microfilm. Other important collections include:

  • Latin American pamphlets from the 1800s (microfiche 794)
  • Declassified CIA Documents (microfiche 195)
  • An extensive collection of anti-slavery literature (microfiche 442)
  • The Cornell Daily Sun going back to 1880 (film 1106)
  • New York Times going back to 1851 (microfilm 288)

Finding specific microforms can be a daunting experience, but the Olin Media Center staff are highly trained and truly enjoy providing excellent patron service through our service point (Help Desk) that is open whenever the Library is open.

In addition to providing directional and location information, we assist patrons with the microform reader/printer/scanners and the audiovisual playback equipment. Thus, it is no surprise that they regularly receive accolades from other staff, faculty, and students.