You may have noticed that the AU Library recently subscribed to Pronunciator, a Rosetta Stone-style language learning service that is now available free for AU students. The service includes a huge range of languages, everything from the popular ones offered in classes (Arabic, Spanish, etc.) to the lesser-learned (like Macedonian or Xhosa). Pronunciator’s two-month courses […]
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Everything is Oscars! See the Academy Award nominees that have hit DVD
Earlier today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for this year’s Oscars ceremony. It’s a solid if unsurprising list: Birdman and Boyhood earned big nods, and Jake Gyllenhaal is sadly nowhere in sight. For a full list of nominees that you’ll have to start learning the names of, check out […]
Continue readingNew Acquisitions – December 2014
Lift your head up from your notebook and take a deep breath. Yes, it’s finals season, but you’ve gotta take some time for yourself. Maybe watch a movie or a TV show? We’re glad to aid and abet that sort of behavior. As we wind our into the last week of the semester, we have […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: Return of the fanboys
We’re back from our Thanksgiving hiatus, and we hope we didn’t miss any too importa– is that a new Star Wars trailer?!!? Everyone has probably watched the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at least once since Friday, and we’re sure there are varied opinions about whether or not it honors the style and […]
Continue readingWho was Marion Barry? This HBO documentary is a good primer
Today marked the passing of Marion Barry, DC political legend and one of the country’s most controversial mayors. To describe his decades of public involvement as tumultuous would be an understatement; Barry weathered multiple scandals and a high-profile arrest yet remained enormously popular among his constituents, serving four non-consecutive terms and continuing to serve as […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: Service across generations
In a few hours, the National Mall will turn into an absolute mob scene for an inaugural HBO-sponsored Veterans Day concert featuring Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Rihanna, and other major artists. This sort of musical event isn’t unprecedented on the Mall (like the previous HBO concert for Obama’a 2009 inauguration), but we understand if you find […]
Continue readingTop 10: Bonus Features Not to Skip
We’re proud of the variety and depth of the Media Services collection. In the interest of bringing you some highlights and deep cuts from our shelves, we’ll be posting unusual and interesting Top 10 lists of some of our favorite DVDs. When was the last time you watched a DVD bonus feature? At the risk […]
Continue readingNew Acquisitions – November 2014
As you recover from your sugar-induced comas this morning, you might be happy to learn that we have a few new items in our collection. We have two major highlights this month. Firstly, thanks to a generous donation, we have received a massive collection of Quebecois films. Secondly, we spent the better part of the […]
Continue readingAU Music Library gets to know Blind Joe Death
The AU Music Library continues to dig into our combined, meaty collection of DVDs about the DC music scene. This time, they’ve taken a look at In Search of Blind Joe Death (MUSIC LIBRARY DVD 77), a Kickstarted documentary about a Takoma Park resident and AU alum who became something of an experimental folk and […]
Continue readingToo much Jason? Our staff recommends obscure horror classics
The day will come that you are sick of watching Hocus Pocus. We all love the Halloween standards, but there are only so many times you can watch the same movies every year before you start looking for something different. According to our Pinterest page, we have over 180 horror films in our collection, but […]
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