The Butler Media Collection currently seeks to support the circulating curricular video recording needs of students and faculty members from the arts and humanities. The original goal and a continuing major emphasis is the collection of feature films for the use of undergraduate School of the Arts Film Division students. However, video documentaries, ethnographic treatments, and stage performances in all areas related to the arts and humanities including anthropology are also collected.

There are a number of other video collections at Columbia: Barnard College has an extensive collection of non-circulating films and documentaries; the Media Support Center for the Humanities currently collects instructional videos and maintains a collection of feature films; the Music and Arts Library collects musical performance videos and laser discs for the use of graduate Film Division students; and each of the departmental libraries selectively purchase video recordings of the topics covered by their collections.

Overall, the Libraries' existing collection, its current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collecting goal for the Butler Media Collection are all at the study and teaching level.

1. Formats collected: We collect videotapes, laser discs, audiotapes, CDs, and DVD media extensively.
2. Imprint Dates collected: We collect contemporary versions of all titles.
3. Chronological focus: We collect materials dealing with all time periods.
4. Languages collected: We collect U.S. and foreign feature films, documentaries in English and other languages.