The basement of the library has a new addition — at the foot of the escalators and next to the Bookmarket Eatery sits the IU Libraries’ Moving Image Collections and Archives.
The space houses three units of the library: Media Services, the Moving Images Archive and the Black Film Collection and Archives.
These three units moved into the basement in late May, providing a central location for students, staff and faculty to consume various forms of media.
The space provides collaborative partnerships between all three units, said Monique Threatt, head of Media Services.
Threatt said although the space is not completely finished, staff members are excited about what the space has to offer.
The space includes film collections, a gaming collection, learning labs, playback machines and a large area for students to study or watch films.
Students can use their student ID to check out video games for various consoles or DVDs. Professors can reserve course materials for students to watch in the Media Services area.
A new screening room that will hold around 50 people will also be part of the Moving Images Archive. Although it won’t be finished until the spring, the room will be available to screen movies that are part of the archive.
Professors can reserve them for classes. The archive may also partner with IU Cinema to have special screenings or hold receptions.
“The area is designed to not detract from the IU Cinema, but it’s to provide an extension,” said Carla Arton, film digitization specialist for the Moving Image Archive.
As a part of the Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative, the Moving Images Archive area has specific rooms for preservation. MDPI is a university-wide initiative to provide digital access to all audio and video recordings on IU’s campuses by the bicentennial year of 2020.
The Moving Images Archive is six years old, but Arton said they are excited to finally have their own space on campus.
“It’s an exciting time for our archive,” Arton said. “We have a new space, new opportunities.”
In September, the Media Services will sponsor the African Film Traveling Series, a film series that will begin at the IU Cinema but will have many events in the Moving Image Collections and Archives as well.
As part of the series, viewers can watch acclaimed African films from New York, Crowe said.
Crowe said it’s their mission to expose the collections they have, so having events like this during the year is important.
“Even though the films aren’t in our collection, it’s all about exposing students to film and showing what conversations about them can bring to our campus,” Crowe said.
Crowe said the main hope for this new area is that more students can discover it. Because it’s located right next to the Bookmarket Eatery, Crowe said she thinks more students will want to stop by.
When students first walk into the room, they can see a few tables with board games. Crowe said she hopes more students will stop in, play a game and check out the space.
“IU Libraries is known for being welcoming,” Crowe said. “This space is part of how we want to be welcoming.”
