Media Library

The Media Library is located at the Fondren Circulation desk, in the Fondren Center. The library houses approximately 11,000 documentary, instructional, and feature film videos in all formats. Media can be located by using the library's online catalog, PONI. The NCMIT library is another helpful resource.

All materials can be scheduled for use in classrooms, viewed on-site in our media carrels, or in most cases, checked out overnight. Our staff can also assist you in locating materials for use, place materials on reserve, and provide a pickup location for most any of the library's materials.

For viewing resources on-site, 20 stations equipped with television monitors and dvd/vcr combo units are located in the basement level of Fondren Library. Each station can accommodate 4 patrons at a time (with individual headphones). Headphones are provided, as well as the option to plug in your own personal headphones.

Circulation Policies

The Media Library Collection is primarily designed to support SMU faculty and students in their instructional classroom use, research or special projects. However, the collection is extensive and many items may be used for general purposes when not scheduled for classroom use.

Policies for the charge out of programs differ according to patron category and type of material. If the program is listed on the PONI screen as having the location of "General Circulation", it may be checked out using a bar-coded SMU ID after 2:00pm. Material checked out in this way is due back by 2:00pm on the next day of classes (so material checked out on Friday is due Monday by 2). There is a $5.00 per day fee for late items. If the program is listed as "Reserve" on the PONI screen, it can only be viewed in class, or in the media viewing carrels available.

16mm films are non-circulating items, and must be scheduled in advance for classroom viewing or individual use.

Reserve Policies

Faculty members may place items on reserve anytime during the semester. These items may come from the Media Library collection, or from your own personal collection. Reserve items are kept in the Media Library and can only be used in the carrel area (or shown in class when scheduled in advance). Reserve items may also be placed on an Overnight Charge-out basis, which allows the materials to be checked out 2 hours before the Media Library closes (between 3 and 5pm), and returned 2 hours after opening the next day (between 8 and 10am).

Reserve items may be checked out in the following ways:

  • Fill out our online reserve form

  • Reserve media for classroom use (media must be picked up at the Media Library, media deliveries are no longer made) using the scheduling form

  • Come by the desk at 103 Fondren Library West.

  • E-mail Jessica Pense at jpense@mail.smu.edu.

    • In order for us to better assist the students looking for reserve materials, you may wish to give us your syllabus for the semester.

    Acquisition Policies

    Faculty may request the purchase of any currently available videotape, laserdisc, DVD, CD-Rom or audiotape to be used in a class setting. Submissions may be placed online, by fax, e-mail, or in person by completing (and printing, if applicable) this form.

    Students, staff, and faculty are also welcome to place media requests that are not class-related, using our media request form.We welcome your suggestions and comments regarding our collection, as we strive to build a non-print materials collection that reflects the academic interests of the SMU community, supports teaching and research, provides quality entertainment, and celebrates political and cultural diversity.

    Please be sure to include as much information about the item as you can to assist us in locating its distributor. The exact title, format, and, if available, the year of publication are necessary in order to process your request in a timely manner. The more information you can provide, the sooner we can process your order.

    If you need the item for a specific use date, be sure to tell us that date. The length of time needed to acquire an item varies greatly, depending upon the item's current availability.

    The final decision to acquire any item for the Media Library rests with the Media Library staff, but the vast majority of requests we receive are filled. If the item is unusually expensive, we may contact you to negotiate a cost-sharing purchase with your department (for class-related acquisitions requests).

    If you have any questions or comments about our collection policy and procedures, please contact Lisa Wall, Library Specialist-Acquisitions in the Media Library at 768-4397.

    By fax: Print out the form from the link provided above, fill it out as completely as possible and fax your request to 768-1502.