The University Libraries offer access to digitized items from our collections as well as digitization services to reformat analog and digital media. Find a list of currently digitized collections via the CU Digital Library.
Rare and Distinctive Collections (RaD) prioritizes making its rich content, including archival images, audio, video, and film collections, available digitally. To inquire about digitization of specific items or collections, please email Rare and Distinctive Collections (RaD) at rad@colorado.edu.
We also license streaming versions of copyrighted films, music, and other multimedia, available to current CU Boulder affiliates (with Identikey) as part of our collections.
Digitization
Whether you are affiliated with the University of Colorado, a business or non-profit community organization, or need help with a personal project, we are glad to discuss how we may be able to help you. Digitization services provided by Digital Imaging Services and Digital Media Services are fee-based.
Digital Imaging Services
High quality digital reproductions of a variety of static media including photographs, negatives, slides, books, and text
Digital Media Services
Digitize or reformat a wide range of archival and legacy audiovisual materials including tapes, discs, phonograph records, and motion picture film reels
Streaming Media
The University Libraries offer access to copyrighted films, music, and other multimedia through a variety of platforms:
- Browse the following guides to find currently licensed titles available for streaming:
- Search OneSearch to determine if the Libraries have access to specific audio, video, or film.
- If you would like help locating a title
For educators: streaming media via Canvas
Educators can link available streaming videos in their Canvas course pages for convenient access by their students. For assistance with linking files to their Canvas courses, educators may contact Learning Technology at OIT.
Copyright Acknowledgements
Customers will be required to sign a Copyright Acknowledgement for duplication or reformatting requests and for our fee-based streaming conversion services.
Duplication or Reformatting
For duplication or reformatting requests, the acknowledgement reads as follows:
I, the person making this duplication request, understand and agree to the following copyright restrictions: Under certain conditions specified by U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. code), libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a copy or reproduction. One of these conditions is that the reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If the user makes a request for, or later uses, a reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. Excluding content for which I am the legal copyright holder, I understand that reproduction of copyrighted content is acceptable for non-commercial use only.
The University Libraries reserves the right to refuse a reproduction request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the request would violate Copyright. Copyrighted materials obtained from other lending libraries or rental companies are not acceptable for duplication. Duplication of copyrighted content is acceptable only for temporary, non-commercial use, in connection with or creation of curriculum materials, private study, classroom or course reserve use. Any further use, reproduction, or distribution of copyrighted items is strictly prohibited. The Libraries will notify you if your request can’t be fulfilled due to copyright restrictions.
Streaming media
For the fee-based streaming media conversion and upload service, the acknowledgement reads as follows:
In order to copy and upload course video content to the campus streaming server, faculty must either acquire permission from the copyright holder or certify by signing below that the material to be copied qualifies as Fair Use. A determination of Fair Use must be based on Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act, which states:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified in that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is fair use, the factors to be considered shall include:
The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature, or is for non-profit educational use;
The nature of the copyrighted work;
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.”
Some resources for helping to determine whether or not a particular use is “Fair”:
https://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/ American Library Association’s “Fair Use Evaluator”
https://copyright.columbia.edu/basics/fair-use/fair-use-checklist.html Columbia University's “Fair Use Checklist”
If you are claiming Fair Use for the media you are submitting for streaming, and permission to do so has not been granted by the copyright holder, you must sign the following statement:
I have determined, to the best of my ability, that the media items listed above for upload to the CU Boulder Campus streaming server qualify as educational Fair Use. I understand that I may be held personally responsible should legal action be taken by the copyright holder