The Kanopy Streaming subscription provides access to thousands of documentary and feature films from many leading producers, but not all of the videos offered on the Kanopy platform are included in the new subscription model. Since titles not offered as part of our subscription have a per-film cost for a limited-term license, we encourage faculty and instructors to select as much streaming material as possible from any of our available streaming sources on the Library A-Z database list. Films on Demand, Docuseek, LGBT Studies in Video, and PBS Video Collection: Fourth Edition are just some of the other resources available.
Requesting a Film
The Kanopy subscription offers close to 10,000 titles, so we feel confident you will find a film to use either using the Browse or Search feature. If you search for a title, the results will clearly indicate whether the title is In Collection or if you need to Request Access.
If you must have a title that is not currently licensed, fill out the Request Form directly from the Kanopy platform or see the Purchasing Streaming Rights box on this page on how to purchase a limited-term license for a film.
Accessibility
Most Kanopy films have closed captions as well as transcripts. If a film is not closed-captioned, we can request captioning.
Sharing a Film
Use the "Share" link below or next to the film to get the film URL to share or embed in Canvas.
Public Performance Rights (PPR)
As an academic institution, all films on Kanopy can be screened in the classroom. Additionally, over 50% of the collection has PPR for on-campus events that do not charge admission which includes the Rock County campus as well as the Whitewater campus. To see if the film has PPR, look for the PPR icon near the top of the films' details page. You can also filter for PPR when searching for a film; see this Kanopy Help Page for more information.
Kanopy titles are acquired throughout the year when requested by faculty, so there is no standard expiration date. If you plan on using a film in your class, make sure to verify the expiration date in the library catalog record to ensure it is available for your students. You can also view a list of upcoming Kanopy Titles Expiring, broken down by semester, on our Collections page.
Even though the faculty member is ultimately responsible for finding a video they deem suitable for their courses, Andersen Library is here to help as much as we can. The library already subscribes to multiple resources that offer a variety of streaming videos that will meet many faculty needs, but we recognize it is impossible for those resources to cover everything that is desired.
In the case that faculty find a resource that is only available outside of our already subscribed resources, the library will share the cost whether it is a limited term license or towards the purchase of perpetual life-of-video streaming rights access.
Beginning in FY2022, the funding model for streaming films will be
Any video requested after the department's library allocation is exceeded will require the appropriate funding Org Code along with the Department Chair approval.
All videos that are acquired through Andersen Library must be accessible to all students and will be included in the library catalog for search and access. Please reach out to your Librarian liaison if you have any questions or use the Request Media (including streaming) form to place your request.
Remember: Just because something is available as a Streaming resource does NOT mean it is available for Public Performance. Those require separate rights and are an additional cost.