Finding Movies in MSEL

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Finding Movies in the MSE Library Catalog

The following webpage offers a few helpful hints on how to locate movies (including films, VHS, DVDs, etc.) using the library's online catalog.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact Don Juedes, Librarian for Film & Media Studies at the Johns Hopking University Milton S. Eisenhower Library.

If you know the title of the movie:

Use an alphabetical catalog search.

Select "Video Titles" from the drop-down menu.
Enter the movie name (HINT: Remember to omit
the initial article--a, an, the, etc.)

If you know the director of the movie:

Use an alphabetical catalog search.

Select "Author" from the drop-down menu.
Enter the name of the director of the movie
(HINT: enter the director's last name first,
followed by his/her first name. This search
will also return the records for any books
that the director has written.)

If you don't have a particular film in mind:

Use an advanced keyword search.

Enter one or more general keywords
(e.g., "film noir", Marilyn Monroe, etc.)
Select "Videos, DVDs, films, slides, etc." from
the scrolling menu marked Material Type.

If you'd like to "browse" the titles in the collection:

The MSE Library's collection of videos and DVDs are shelved in a closed stack area.
While you can't physically browse what we have, you can browse our catalog.

Use an alphabetical search.

Select "Call Numbers--Other" from the drop-down menu.
Enter "DVD" (if you would like to browse the
DVD collection) or "Video" (if you'd like to browse VHS tapes).
The results will be a list of items in the collection
arranged in the orderthat they were recieved
(the oldest, DVD 1, for example, will be displayed first).

To find movies of a certain genre:

Use a basic keyword seach.

Select "Subject Keyword" from the drop-down menu.
Enter the genre you're looking for (comedy films,
adventure films, western films, gangster films, horror
films, detective films, silent films, documentary films, etc.)

To find films in a particular language:

Use an advanced keyword search.

Enter "feature films" in the search box
(choose "Subject from the drop-down menu)
Chose a language from the Language menu
(to select more than one language, hold down
the control key when selecting each language).

Return to the Film & Media Studies Research Guide