UVM Libraries Research Guides: Film & Television Studies: Books

Locate Books in Howe Library

These call number ranges hold a variety of books on film, television, screenplays, and acting.

PN 1992-1992.92 : Television Broadcasts	PN 1993-1999 : Motion Pictures	PN 1997-1997.85 : Screenplays
PN 2061-2080 : Art of Acting, Monologues	Z 5784 : Motion Pictures - bibliography	Z 7711 : Television - bibliography

Books that may be checked out of the Library are on the 3rd floor (Call #s PN, Z 5784, Z 7711). Reference Books (main/1st floor): ROW 10 (Call #: PN) : Television and Motion Pictures / ROW 15 (Call #: Z 5784) / ROW 17 (Call #: Z 7711). Browse the Stacks: Find a useful book in the stacks? Browse in that area to discover other books that might be useful.

Use the Library Catalog to Search for Books in the Library

The Library Catalog locates books, journals (not articles), microfilm, dvds, cds, and U.S. documents (1976->) owned by the UVM Libraries. There are two versions of the catalog:
CATQuest version and the Classic Library Catalog. Each version has its advantages and disadvantages.
Because the CATQuest search box is front and center on the Library homepage, find instructions for using the CATQuest version below. If something confuses you, use the Classic Library Catalog. To find this link on the Library homepage, click the "Research" link at the top of the page and find the link in the "FIND" column.

Find Books by Subject

*Subject Headings Standardized words or phrases assigned to a subject (e.g., etiquette not manners). Library subject headings are similar to tags. We attach these special terms to library catalog records in order to describe the intellectual content of an item more precisely. Subject terms are categories of information; click on one and you'll retrieve a list of similarly tagged items. Allows books on a similar subject to be grouped together in the book stacks.

Use Library of Congress Subject Headings* in the Library Catalog to locate books on your topic. Click image below (live link!) to be brought to the Browse search function in CATQuest.

Subject headings for film and television studies material vary.
Note - the standard subject heading for film is motion pictures. The standard subject headings for television are television programs and television broadcasting.

MOTION PICTURES

The three subject headings listed above may be narrowed/focused by hundreds of subheadings. For additional subject headings, see the selected lists below.

film criticism	motion pictures setting and scenery	motion picture film collections
motion pictures reviews	motion pictures editing	screenwriters
motion pictures history and criticism	motion pictures history	motion pictures plots, themes, etc.
motion pictures [country/region/state] (e.g. motion pictures united states)	cinematography cinematography lighting	motion picture plays (i.e., screenplays)
motion pictures production and direction	cinematographers	film adaptations
documentary films production and direction	sound in motion pictures	motion picture authorship
motion picture producers and directors	motion pictures art direction	motion pictures and literature
motion picture industry	costume design	motion pictures and history
independent filmmakers	costume designers	motion pictures and women
motion picture music motion pictures and music musicals united states musical films jazz in motion pictures film soundtracks	actors [country] actresses [country] motion picture actors and actresses women motion picture producers and directors individual director, actor, etc. [e.g. wenders wim, davis bette, etc.]	motion picture acting acting method acting improvisation acting

Note: to find lists of feature films owned by the library, use the subject heading: feature films

Film Genres

documentary films
comedy films
silent films
animated films
western films
film noir, musical films, etc
(look for subheadings such as "history and criticism")

**Social & Political Aspects, Portrayal of Groups in Motion Pictures**
motion pictures political aspects	jews in motion pictures	women in motion pictures
politics in motion pictures	african americans in motion pictures	feminism and motion pictures
motion pictures social aspects	hispanic americans in motion pictures	minorities in motion pictures
race in motion pictures	latin americans in motion pictures	homosexuality in motion pictures
racism in motion pictures	indians in motion pictures (i.e. native americans)	gender identity in motion pictures
antisemitism in motion pictures	asians in motion pictures	gays in motion pictures

TELEVISION

television broadcasting	television plays
television programs [country/place]	television and ______ (e.g. television and politics, children, family)
television production and direction	television broadcasting social aspects
television producers and directors	violence in television (how violence is portrayed in television)
television actors and actresses television acting	screenwriters
television adaptations	individual producer, director, actor [e.g. ball lucille, etc.]
television programs united states reviews	television personalities
television criticism	soap operas
television broadcasting of news	reality television programs
situation comedies television programs	television comedies

*Click this link to view a list of additional topics related to television, e.g., african americans in television

Copyright

copyright motion pictures	fair use (copyright)
copyright broadcasting rights (used instead of "television rights")	fair use (copyright) united states

Find Books by Keyword

CATQuest Advanced Search

Use a Keyword search in the CATQuest Advanced Search to search topics that are complex with multiple concepts or if you are unsure of the Library of Congress Subject Heading. A keyword search finds the term anywhere in the library catalog record. When you do a keyword search, be sure to look at the subject headings used to describe this topic and then also search by the correct Library of Congress Subject Heading. Also, use a keyword search if you have multiple concepts or topics to search.

Tips:

Limit entire search to "Library Catalog."
To force a phrase, use the pull-down menu for the "contains" box to choose "phrase."
Use the phrase motion pictures as one of your terms. Then try the search again and substitute film for motion pictures.
When connecting words with "and" or "or," use uppercase letters (i.e., AND OR)
Select "Books" from the list in the Resource Type category to eliminate records for actual films or tv programs in your results list.
To broaden your search, use the truncation symbol * at the end of the word or root word to retrieve variant endings.example: feminis* --> feminist, feminists, feminism

Books Beyond Howe Library

Enrich your research by searching for books beyond the UVM Libraries.

Hathi Trust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
This resource provides access to millions of digitized titles that are in the public domain. Use it to locate historic or primary source materials from around the world. Use is open to everyone but UVM affiliates can log in to download texts for offline use.
WorldCat This link opens in a new window
This resource is a searchable database of library collections across the United States, Canada and many other countries. Well over a billion records describe books, multimedia, serials, maps, and other information resources. Materials identified through WorldCat can be ordered through UVM's Interlibrary Loan Service.

In addition to the databases above, consider:
Book Reviews: Article databases frequently index book reviews. If you find a review (or citation for a review) for a book that looks useful or interesting, check the library catalog to see if the library owns it. If the library doesn't own the book, borrow it through Interlibrary Loan.
Bibliographies: Scholarly journal articles, scholarly encyclopedia essays, and academic-oriented books will provide bibliographies or lists for further reading. If you find a book that looks useful or interesting, check the library catalog to see if the library owns it. If the library doesn't own the book, borrow it through Interlibrary Loan. These are indeed the "low hanging fruit" during the research process!