Audiovisual
The Library holds a collection of sound and video recordings relevant to the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It includes music, poetry, prose, drama, folk-tales and vernacular languages on discs, reels, cassette tapes and CDs. Some CDs and DVDs may be borrowed and others are available for reference only.
Finding audiovisual materials
If you know the specific details of a particular sound or video recording and you would like to see if it is available in the Library, then please check the online Library catalogue.If you just wish to see what audiovisual material is available at SOAS you can either search on the Library catalogue by keyword, using words that describe your subject plus the word video or sound depending on what you are looking for, or you can search by class mark and then limit your search by subject terms. DVDs have the classmark MDVD, while MY is the classmark for Music CDs.
Accessing audiovisual material
Some audiovisual materials have to be requested from the Issue Desk on the ground floor of the Library and are for use only in the Library. All Library members may request materials. Many CDs and DVDs are available on open access on Level E stacks 47-49.Music CDs and DVDs are classified according to regions:
Music CDs
| Classmark | Regions |
| MY3 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| MY4 | North Africa (Alegria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia) |
| MY5 | Near and Middle East, (incl.Balkans) |
| MY6 | Jewish Music |
| MY15 | South Asia |
| MY20 | South East Asia (incl. Oceania) |
| MY24 | East Asia incl. China(incl.Tibet, Mongolia) |
| MY25 | Japan, Korea |
| MY34 | Asia and Africa in General (i.e. compilation, cross region) |
| MY40 | Other regions of the world (i.e. World music, Cuban music, Latin Music) or Non-regional |
DVDs
| Classmark | Regions |
| MDVD 3 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| MDVD 4 | North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia) |
| MDVD 5 | Near and Middle East, (incl. Israel) |
| MDVD 15 | South Asia |
| MDVD 20 | South East Asia (incl. Oceania) |
| MDVD 24 | East Asia incl. China (incl. Tibet, Mongolia) |
| MDVD 25 | Japan, Korea |
| MDVD 34 | Asia and Africa in general (i.e. cross region) |
| MDVD 40 | Other regions of the world |
Closed Access Materials
| Classmark | Regions |
| EMY | Reference Only music CDs |
| MDVD | Reference Only DVDs |
DVDs and Copyright
- DVDs can only be used for non-commercial research, private study purposes
- DVDs in the Library collection should not be shown to the public as this is an exclusive right of the rights holder.
- Most public performances of a video in a public room, whether or not a fee is charged, are an infringement of copyright. Such performances require a public performance license from the rights holder.
- There is an educational exemption which states that if a film is screened as part of the curriculum, a copyright licence is not required. Public performances of a video/DVD in the face-to-face classroom is an exception to the public performance right therefore it is lawful.
Viewing facilities (VHS, Blueray, multi-regional DVD p layers) are available in E26. There are listening facilities (LP, CD, Cassette tape players) near the photocopying area on Level E of the Library.