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Film Services

The Dawson Library Film Collection
Our film collection is built and maintained to support the teaching of topics covered in college courses. The collection holds more than 2,600 titles in DVD and VHS format, including documentaries, feature films and training materials from a range of disciplines.

The collection is located behind the Circulation Desk of the Library at 5C.

 

Searching the Collection

All of our films are listed in the Library Catalogue. You can search for specific films by Title, or enter a keyword and click on the “Collection” tab to limit your search to films in a specific format (DVD and/or VHS).

To see a complete list of all our films, open the “Collection” tab, select both “Film (DVD)” and “Film (VHS)”, and click “Search” without typing any keywords in the search field(s). For more help with searching, ask a Librarian at the Reference Desk (6th floor), online, or at (514) 931-8731 ext. 1731.

You can also check for titles of new films on our New Books & Films list, or browse a complete list of French Language Films.

 

Online Films Subscriptions

The Dawson College Library also has subscriptions to several streaming film collections.

Students and staff may view the films in these collections, both on- and off-campus, by providing a valid Dawson network ID and password when prompted.

 

Borrowing Policies †
Students

Students may borrow one film at a time for in-library use only. Films may not be taken out of the library.

Faculty Members

A faculty member may borrow up to four films at a time.

If you need a film for a specific day and time, we recommend you reserve it ahead of time to ensure it will be available. To make a reservation, please use the Ask a Librarian form, or write to libcirc@dawsoncollege.qc.ca.

If you would like students to view a film on their own time, you may ask to put it on Reserve. For inquiries about Reserves, contact Suzanne Bellefleur, sbellefleur@dawsoncollege.qc.ca, local 1622.

If you would like us to order a film for the collection, please complete our online Purchase Request Form. As with other library orders, we ask that you please only request films that you plan to use on an ongoing basis.

†If you borrow a film and lend it to another student or faculty member, you are responsible if it is lost or damaged in any way.

 

Guidelines for Screening Films

Canada’s reformed Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42) now explicitly identifies “education” as one of three purposes permitted under “Fair Dealing”: “Fair dealing for the purpose of research, private study, education, parody or satire does not infringe copyright.” (Article 29)

In light of these changes, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) has released an updated edition of Copyright Matters! (2022, PowerPoint). This guide offers clear guidelines for the use of copyrighted materials within educational institutions.

Regarding the use of films in the classroom, the CMEC guide states the following:

17. Can teachers show an audiovisual work (such as a DVD or video) on school premises without infringing copyright?

The Copyright Act permits showing an audiovisual work such as a DVD or video on the premises of an educational institution provided the following five conditions are met:

  1. The showing must take place on the premises of an educational institution.
  2. The showing must be for an audience consisting primarily of students, instructors, or persons directly responsible for setting a curriculum.
  3. The showing must be for educational or training purposes.
  4. The showing must not be for profit.
  5. The copy shown must not be infringing or the person responsible for the performance has no reasonable grounds to believe that it is an infringing copy.

If all five conditions listed above are met, an audiovisual work may be shown for educational purposes without permission from the copyright owner and without the payment of royalties pursuant to section 29.5(d) of the Copyright Act.

Teachers can show audiovisual works purchased or rented from a retail store, a copy borrowed from the library, a copy borrowed from a friend, or a YouTube video.

Showing audiovisual works for non-educational purposes, such as fundraising or a family movie night, requires permission and the payment of copyright royalties.

Showing movies from subscription services in the classroom is governed by the terms of the agreement between the subscriber and the subscription service. If the agreement provides that use is limited to “personal” or “household” use, for example, then classroom use is not permitted.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Technical Services Librarian: Claire Elliott, celliott@dawsoncollege.qc.ca, local 1736.