Department of
Theater, Film, and Media Studies

Instructional Resources

TFMS majors should familiarize themselves with the following resource centers on campus. Each provides access to instructional and research materials.

Baltimore Hall Library: Located near St. John's Pond and the Campus Center, the Baltimore Hall Library holds an expanding collection of dramatic literature, theory, criticism, and theater history, as well as works in the areas of film, media, performance and cultural studies, dance/movement, and technical theater. Selected periodicals and journals of the performing arts, film and media, and of recent scholarship in these areas supplement these holdings. The Library regularly augments its media (DVD) collections, and students interested in viewing films and/or plays, dance pieces, and lectures produced for video screening may request use of these items.

Personnel at the circulation desk and reference desk are available to assist students in locating materials.

Most materials not held by the Library may be obtained through interlibrary loan, a service that requests materials from major libraries throughout the country. Students must initiate research as early as possible; Interlibrary loan is a frequently needed option, and the process can take several weeks before materials arrive. St. Mary's College ID cards will enable students to use libraries at other higher education institutions in Maryland. Information about these privileges is available from the Library. Students may also visit the Library of Congress or The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., and can rent DVDs from local video stores.

Media Center, Baltimore Hall Library: The Media Center is equipped with VCRs, DVD/CD players, and audio cassette players for classroom use and duplication of materials, as well as a large screening room for the viewing of films. It also includes a dark room, a graphics studio, a state-of-the-art audio/video editing and recording studio, and some study carrels equipped with audiovisual equipment. Media services personnel are available to assist students in locating equipment and in operating it safely.

Production Archives: Currently, TFMS archival holdings include copies of programs, scripts, newspaper articles/reviews, and slides/digital archives of shows produced at St. Mary's College or produced under the auspices of the department; films produced by TFMS students and by guests of the annual TFMS Film Series; and copies of announcements, reviews, and, if possible, texts of lectures and/or demonstrations held at the College with department sponsorship. The archives are housed in MH 165, and access to its use is by arrangement only.

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