About Multimedia Resources
How multimedia searching works
Computers can quickly and easily process text searches for matches. But
multimedia searches present much more of a challenge. This is not because of how
computers store information, but because of how we search for it. A computer
stores a file, whether text, images, or sound, as a series of bits in a computer
code. When we search for text in a computer's database, we can exactly recreate
the text we want by typing it into a search box and the search software looks
for code that matches what we typed. But when looking for an image or a sound
file, we can't just type in, draw, paint, hum, or perform part of the painting
or photograph or symphony we want.
So searching for multimedia files
depends on labeling and indexing files with text descriptions. Multimedia search
engines typically look at file names and descriptions, image captions, text on a Web
page accompanying a file, or other related factors. (Software such as
actual image content recognizers based on such factors as pattern recognition
which can help in, e.g, finding
naked people, are under development but still can use some work.) This means
both you and the cataloger of an image or other multimedia file need to be on
the same wavelength in describing an image. For example, a description of a
photograph of a famous person may not note that the building you are interested
in finding photos of is in the background. So you may need to do some creative
searching to find what you want, such as thinking of famous people who may have
been photographed in front of the building you want pictures of.
Software issues (plug-ins, etc)
To access the full range of multimedia options, you need a sound and
video card in your computer. All newer computers should be appropriately
equipped,
but if you are using an old computer, you may need to add one. Then, you
may need to add plug-ins, or players, which are software programs which
play sound and video files of various formats.
If your computer already has a particular plug-in, it will
automatically be activated when you access a Web site or online file which
requires it. If the required plug-in is not on your computer, a dialog box
should pop up with an option to download the software, with instructions on
how to do so. Some plug-ins are available as freeware, and some require
you to purchase the software to use it (often after a free trial period).
Some of the more common multimedia plug-ins are:
For more on plug-ins, see Plugins.com or
learnthenet.com's
plug-in page.
Copyright issues
It is easy to make copies of multimedia files online. But that does not mean
that it is necessarily legal. If you plan to use an image, sound, or other
electronic file from another source in your own work (such as a web page), get
written permission granting you the right to do so. This may be stated in the
source (such as on a web page, or in a licensing agreement for a purchased
product). If the source does not explicitly grant you the right to use a file in
a certain way, you should seek permission of the owner of the file (who may or
may not be the creator) to ask for (or pay for) the right to use the file in a
certain way.
To determine the owner of the file, check the source of the file. A web site
often has an email address or other contact information for whomever is
responsible for the site. A CD-ROM or other publication should indicate the
publisher. If the source of the file does not grant others the right to copy and
use the file and you cannot find or contact the owner, it is best not to use the
file.
In the Library
Wesleyan Library subscribes to several online databases which include
multimedia resources. We also have many other multimedia resources, such as
CD-ROMs, music CDs, video tapes, and DVDs listed in the CTW Online
Catalog. In addition, there are many other multimedia sources and indexes to
sources such as photographs in Special Collections and Archives, maps in the
Science Library, or catalogs of prints in the Art Library. You
can use the sources and techniques listed below to find multimedia resources in
our collection, but it is often quicker to ask a librarian since we know the
collections and may know of a source that would be difficult to find otherwise
(to contact a librarian, visit the reference
desk, use ReferenceNow's
online chat,
call x3873, send an email, or ask
for a personal research
session.
Indexes and Databases
- AP Multimedia Archive
- Photographs, maps, diagrams, charts, audio clips, and other
multimedia files, along with a large collection of text files, from the
Associated Press' extensive library of news materials dating back as far as
the 1840s.
- Grove Dictionary
of Art - The online version of Grove Art is a "comprehensive online reference resource for all aspects of the visual arts worldwide
from prehistory to the present day." It also includes a number of external
image links
- AMICO Library
(Art Museum Image Consortium) - A collection of over 100,000 works of
art from around the world from ancient to modern times.
- Grove Music -
Along with the full text of the print version of the Grove Dictionary of
Music, the online version includes both audio and visual files.
The CTW Online
Catalog lists videos and sound recordings:
