How sweet it is – Candi makes materials easy to find

Up until now, James Laitinen has kept a spreadsheet of Canadian distributors of videos and DVDs to help him fill the hundreds of requests that pour in to the University of B.C. Okanagan library from post-secondary teachers and curriculum developers.

If a history prof wanted a PBS video to use in class, for example, Laitinen would consult his spreadsheet or rack his brain to remember which distributor handled PBS – McIntyre, Monarch or McNabb. He’d Google. He’d go to their websites. And finally he’d place the order.

Across the country, hundreds of other library staff were doing exactly the same thing.

But thanks to Candi, the first online tool of its kind in Canada, they can eliminate their spreadsheets and go straight to the source.

Direct links to distributors

Candi is short for the Canadian Database of Information on Educational Media. Educators, librarians and curriculum developers who are looking for DVDs, videos and other electronic materials from all over the world can use it to hook up directly with the Canadian companies that distribute the material.

The database has a variety of easy-to-use search options, including a choice of 300 subject areas, and includes material produced by everything from the BBC or the National Film Board to small, independent filmmakers.

And it’s free for the asking.

Candi was produced by the Advanced Education Media Acquisitions Centre at Langara College, which is funded by the provincial government.

Where can I buy this video?

“ ‘Where can I buy this video?’ is the most commonly asked question of a media librarian – and the most time-consuming to answer,” says Susan Weber, the librarian for the centre, whose job includes tracking down little-known titles after other librarians at post-secondary institutions around B.C. have thrown in the towel. “People see programs broadcast on TV, but don’t know where they can buy them to use in the classroom.”

Last year Weber and her team acquired the technology that would help solve the problem. Distributors provided information about what materials they handled. Heather Cai, then a graduate student from the University of B.C. library school, dedicated an entire course to migrating the data online – and Candi was created.

“This is a great example of public educators and government working with private industry to create a system-wide approach to finding training materials quickly and efficiently,” said Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell.

Librarians applaud

The response to Candi from other librarians in B.C. and elsewhere has been enthusiastic.

Says Laitinen: “I don’t have to maintain my own spreadsheet, and searching the database will save me a lot of little steps in the ordering process.”

Nancy Henwood, Camosun College librarian: “There wasn’t anything like this before. Now, you just go to one place to find what you need. It’s wonderful!”

And Maryon Egerton-Jones of Seneca College in Ontario: “Looks like I may well have another go at those faculty requests from obscure publishers that I've been pushing to the bottom of the pile!”

The URL for Candi is www.candimedia.ca. To use it, you need a password, which Susan Weber will be happy to give you. You can phone her at 604 323-5533, or e-mail her at sweber@langara.bc.ca.