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Getting Librarians on your Side

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Posted on April 19, 2002

A Guide for Documentary Filmmakers

Most documentary filmmakers planning an outreach campaign seek to reach underrepresented communities. Similarly, libraries promote equal access to information. The following tips can help independent filmmakers and activists better understand libraries' collection development process and how to better promote their documentary films through libraries. Moreover, librarians are often as aware of community representation as they are of equal access and reach a representative cross-section of your local community.

GETTING YOUR FILM INTO A LIBRARY'S COLLECTION

Librarians face the challenging task of making the broadest spectrum of media available to a diverse group of patrons. However, librarians must choose what materials to purchase on a limited budget. They seek materials that will appeal to their communities' needs, but also seek to boost circulation by purchasing popular materials. The biggest challenge that a filmmaker faces in getting his/her film into a library is getting their $100 plus film to be more appealing to a media librarian than the $13-$20 Hollywood blockbuster which will likely be more widely used by the public. In this difficult economic climate and particularly, in the strapped world of library funding, this can be difficult. However, many media librarians would like to encourage independent film wherever possible. It is up to the filmmaker to take steps towards making their material more desirable for library use.

Be aware that audio-visual (AV) libraries have different policies on the materials they purchase. Their curation policies for print materials may not apply to multimedia works. In academic libraries, professors request more of the library's video materials than students or other faculty and have a greater impact on the library's final purchasing decision. Some libraries continue to use the traditional model of collection development, that is, a media selector reads reviews, examines the work, follows the collection's policy, while others have switched to a "demand-driven" model where material requests and use dictate the collection development process.

PROMOTING YOUR FILM THROUGH THE LIBRARY

Once your film has been acquired by a library, library screenings are a quantifiable way in which you can do outreach (track the attendees). One way to encourage a screening of your film is to propose a film series (including your film, of course) and suggest local guest speakers. If you have the resources, create a Web site for the film. If you already have one, add contact information for those speakers and links to the other works and resources that complement your topic.

Pamphlets and displays are other ways in which you can help AV librarians spotlight independent media offerings. Having attractive and informative promotional materials, targeted to the needs of your local library or community may help your film join the ranks of your library's collection. Adding a bio or other materials that speak to your authority on your subject can make you appear more knowledgeable about the issues of your film addresses. When you write to your library or design your pamphlet, suggest other works that complement your film topic and to whose quality you can attest. Include photocopies of favorable journal reviews (see below for a list of journals).

If you have a distributor, they will package your film with similar titles on their Web site and in their email mailing lists. By packaging your film with similar titles, you will be encouraging your librarian to build their collection on a given subject. Your distributor can also feature your film at markets that reach librarians but are usually not attended by filmmakers, such as the National Film Market in Las Vegas and the Association of Moving Image Archives. If you don't have a distributor, the MediaRights.org list of distributors can help you find one.

Do not underestimate the power of email mailing lists, Web sites and viral marketing techniques. For more on how to use the Web for your outreach campaign, see the Independent Producers' Outreach Toolkit. The MediaRights.org Educator/Librarian Workshop will give you some insight into how schools and libraries are already using media.

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