Streaming Video Services

Dear Faculty and Students,

As you may know, Sawyer library offers a collection of streaming videos through several content providers:

Films On Demand
Kanopy Streaming Media
Business Management Collection: Henry Stewart Talks
JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments): Science Education
PsycTHERAPY

What you are likely not aware of is the variety of purchasing models these providers employ, and how those situations have impacted Sawyer library's offerings.

Some of these purchasing models are fairly straightforward; Sawyer library pays an annual subscription fee that opens a defined catalog of videos for unlimited use by our community members. Providers that follow this model:
Business Management Collection: Henry Stewart Talks
JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments): Science Education
PsycTHERAPY

Other models offer opportunity to find and instantly access a desired video in the provider's full catalog, but the library pays license fees for videos that are "triggered". As users find and view videos, the provider tracks those views, then charges Sawyer library when a particular video achieves the "trigger threshold". This is a convenient service for our users, but it offers the library very little predictability when it comes to managing budgets, as numbers of triggers fluctuate wildly even in one year.

As a result, you may have noticed a change in your access within one of our most popular streaming video providers, Kanopy Streaming Media. Currently users are able to find videos in the Kanopy catalog, but must request purchase of a video via a request form that pops up in Kanopy's platform.

Films On Demand operates on a similar purchasing model as Kanopy, but it has received markedly less traffic and therefore currently still has funds for instant access. However, given what you have just read, it is possible that Films on Demand will also need to transition to a "request" model within the semester.

Sawyer library continually reviews its resources, and there are other options for providing video streaming that we will likely trial within the semester. We hope to strike the balance between convenient access and sustainable cost management.

As always, please do not hesitate to communicate your comments, questions and concerns:

sawlib@suffolk.edu

Circulation and Reserve Desk	Reference Desk
617-573-8535	617-573-8532

Sawyer Library Hours

Sincerely,
Sawyer library staff

Staff Notes: Farewell to Sharon Britton

Sharon Britton has retired from her position as Sawyer Library Director, and we wish her well in all her future kayaking, biking and family visiting pursuits!

Speech in honor of Sharon delivered May 30 2018:

Hello everyone! Thank you for coming to support Sharon Britton, the Mildred F. Sawyer Library Director until 5:00pm today when she might actually retire from Suffolk University and full time academic librarianship

We have all had an opportunity to work with Sharon as she engaged in events, projects and committees across campus. Sharon has probably attended every single community event held in this Poetry Center, and her commitment to the Employees Activity Council (EAC) programming ranges from regular First Friday SU spirit displays to last-second intensive decoration support for planned events. Sharon tirelessly advocates for the library’s interests at the Teaching Innovation Learning and Technology (TILT) Committee, Faculty and Professional Learning Community (FPLC), and at any “space meeting” she can politely muscle her way into. As Sharon has set the example for strong campus engagement, I believe you would agree that you are seeing librarians in more places across campus.

Within the library walls, Sharon has emphasized open communication, maintaining an open-door policy for staff to engage her in everything from feisty discussions about professional librarianship to compassionate (and confidential) personal conversations. Sharon has devoted much of her attention to increasing collaboration between departments on library-wide projects and enhancing library services for all users. As library director, Sharon oversaw the completion of the Sawyer Library Commons which grew seating and collaborative space for student use within the library. Sharon also supervised the integration of the former NESAD library’s collection with the Sawyer library collection, and welcomed the Moakley Archive and Institute as a new department of Sawyer library.

Sharon has led Sawyer library with sincerity and care for the past 5 years; please join me as we thank her tremendously for her service.