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Vast Arts Video and Audio Multimedia Collection Now Available for K-12 Schools, Local Libraries

Every public school student and teacher, as well as every Californian with a library card, can now access over 5,000 theatre, music and dance performance videos and audio performances and over 3,000 world music albums anytime they want, online at no charge through their school district and local library.

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2023

Oakland Post

iStock image courtesy of gmast3r.

By Jeff Barbosa, California State Library

These video and audio recordings from the Alexander Street platform by ProQuest (part of Clarivate) are the latest addition to the online resources the California State Library provides to K-12 students and include performances from L.A. Theatre Works, The Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, music from Smithsonian’s Folkways label, and video recordings chronicling music history and cultural change co-created by Grammy-Award winner Quincy Jones.

“This helps California put a capital A for Arts in the online STEAM resources we’re offering public school students and teachers – and every Californian with a library card,” said California State Librarian Greg Lucas.

The State Library and its partner, the Riverside County Office of Education, have provided online tools for academic success to California’s school students and their teachers at no cost to schools since 2018. Through September 2023, more than 482 million unique investigations and searches of those resources have occurred.

The Alexander Street collections include performances from California arts organizations and artists. Some examples:

Video performances from the Los Angeles Symphony and San Francisco Opera;
International dance recordings produced from Berkeley, CA;
Jazz performances video and international music audio recorded in California;
Lectures on acting technique from California-based professionals; and
Over 430 full-length audio plays produced by L.A. Theatre Works, featuring well-known actors from around the world.

California local library-card holders can access the resources online. Check the online resources section of your local library or ask a librarian. If the library hasn’t added the resources yet, encourage library staff to find out more by emailing K12.Resources@library.ca.gov.

California’s Alexander Street arts collection from ProQuest includes:

Audio Collections:

Audio Drama: The L.A. Theatre Works Collection contains over 430 plays from the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries performed by leading actors from around the world, recorded specifically for online listening.

Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries provides a virtual encyclopedia of unique American folk, blues, soul, jazz, and protest songs, as well as a broad range of world music through partnership with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Video Collections:

Music Online: The Quest TV Collection, co-created by Quincy Jones & Reza Ackbaraly, offers valuable materials for music history and cultural studies through the preservation of diverse live performances, representing jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, folk, indie, electronic, blues, and other eclectic world genres.

Dance Online: Dance in Video is a collection of performances, instructional materials, documentaries, and interviews, showcasing high-caliber performances from dance companies and performers worldwide, including traditional ballet to hip hop, street dance, and modern dance.

Broadway On Demand includes plays, musicals, and dance performances along with behind-the-scenes series, documentaries, instructional videos, and more.

National Theatre Collection provides contemporary video productions, modern reinterpretations of classic plays — all featuring acclaimed actors and directors along with behind-the-scenes archival content.

The Royal Shakespeare Company Collection contains high-definition recordings of top Shakespearean actors and directors, along with supplementary teaching materials designed to help bring Shakespeare to life in the modern age.

Theatre in Video offers access to hundreds of significant plays, documentaries, and instructional materials, as well as interviews with prominent directors, designers, writers, and actors, providing an authentic behind-the-scenes look at various productions.

Classical Music in Video provides influential performances and documentaries demonstrating the development of classical music, spanning eras from past masters to modern composers.

Opera in Video offers a wide curated selection of opera performances, featuring top artists, conductors, and venues.

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

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7 days ago

May 23, 2025

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By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association