Skip to Main Content
Today's Hours:

Library DVD Digitization Services for Faculty

Migration of Physical Video Media to Streaming Video

In the event that you wish to have your online-only class view a particular film...

BUT you cannot find that film in either of our two academic video databases...

AND the library is NOT able to obtain any streamable version along with the necessary copyright permission (via a video streaming license) for you to make that film available to your online class...

AND either you, an FSU department, or the Whittemore Library owns a physical (DVD) version of that film...

Then our DVD Digitization Service may be for you!

How It Works:

The Whittemore Library complies with all U.S. Copyright and related Laws. However, Copyright Law contains deliberately built-in exceptions, some recently added in order to support online education:

  • The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act)
  • The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

Those modifications to Copyright Law give us an option (only after careful consideration and on a case-by-case basis), to convert physical DVD films to streamable versions which can then be uploaded to the Panopto Video area in your Canvas class site.

Our Process:

Please fill out and submit the Request to Digitize DVD for Online Class form

We will meet with you to discuss Copyright and Fair Use considerations, including

  • The amount of film to be used
  • Your pedagogical rationale

Upon deciding (based upon the TEACH and DMCA acts, and consideration of the Fair Use four factors) to proceed with the film migration to a streaming form, the library will have two weeks to process your request.

When the film has been processed and uploaded to your Canvas class site's Panopto area, you will be notified.

You are then responsible for creating a link to the video for you students. If not familiar with the Canvas LMS, contact the Educational Technology Office for assistance.

You MUST also remind your students that Copyright law prohibits them capturing or downloading and redistributing the streaming video you have provided. (Easiest way would probably be a Copyright warning/disclaimer statement that they will see before they access the film.)

The link to the film must be removed either when students have finished viewing it, or at the end of the semester.