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Streaming Media at Swisher Library

Kanopy Access from the Swisher Library

What is Kanopy?

Kanopy is a user-friendly database of instantly available streaming videos. The Swisher Library subscribes to Kanopy's Bundled Academic Subscription for Education (BASE) collection, which contains over 8,000 videos meant for use in academic settings by students, faculty, and staff. Documentaries, international films, artistic performances, diverse voices, full series, and more are all waiting for you to browse!

Making a Kanopy Account

Making an account with your JU-issued email address allows you to create clips, curate custom watchlists, access embed codes and permalinks for quick Blackboard posting, and cite videos. To make your Kanopy account visit the Library's A-Z Database page and click on “Kanopy”.

  1. Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner and then choose “Create an Account”. 
  2. Choose “Find Your University” and select “Jacksonville University” by typing it in the search box.
  3. Finally, use your JU-issued email address to create login credentials.

Selected Kanopy Videos

Cover Art for Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Taika Waititi (director).
Cover Art for Wild Florida, Rowan Crawford (director)
Cover Art for And She Could Be Next, Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia (directors).
Cover Art for Mao's Last Dancer, Bruce Beresford (director)
Cover Art for This Changes Everything, Tom Donahue (director)
Cover Art for The Work: Group Therapy with Folsom Prison Inmates, Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous (directors)
Cover Art for Game Girls, Alina Skrzeszewska (director)
Cover Art for Unity, Shaun Monson (director)
Cover Art for Moroni for President, Saila Huusko and Jasper Rischen (directors)
Cover Art for Unorthodox: Rebellion and Orthodox Jewish Teens, Nadja Oertelt and Anna Wexler (directors)
Cover Art for Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital, Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford (directors)
Cover Art for His Girl Friday, Howard Hawks (director)

Kanopy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Which Kanopy videos does the JU community have access to?
    • All of the streaming videos visible to users in the JU Kanopy interface are accessible to our library patrons.
  • Is there a limit on how many Kanopy videos I can watch?
    • No - the Swisher Library's subscription allows for unlimited streaming for all of our patrons.
  • How do I display closed captions, subtitles, and transcripts on Kanopy videos?
    • To enable closed captions or subtitles while watching a film, select the CC icon in the bottom-right corner of the video player. Slide the toggle next to Captions to turn them on. If multiple captioning tracks are available, you can select one below the toggle.  Select Captions Settings to customize how captions appear in Kanopy.
    • To enable transcripts while watching a film, select the Enable Transcripts icon in the bottom-right corner of the video player. This will open the "Transcripts" window. As the film plays, the transcript will advance automatically. You can also manually scroll up and down within the transcript. (More information on this FAQ: Displaying Closed Captions, Subtitles, and Transcripts)
  • How do I create a citation for a Kanopy video?
    • Kanopy does have a built-in citation generator. To use this tool, visit the details page of video that you would like to cite and locate the "Share" link under the film. There you will be able to generate APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard style citations for the video. As with any automatic citation generator, you should check the citation for accuracy. The Library has several resources to help you check your citations.
  • Which Kanopy films can I screen during an extracurricular event on campus?
    • Screening a film outside of class requires PPR (public performance rights). To find films with PPR on the Kanopy website, you can apply Kanopy's "PPR Available" filter when searching or by checking for the PPR icon on a film's details page. (More info on this FAQ available here: Extracurricular Film Screenings)
  • Does Kanopy offer apps?
    • Yes, Kanopy offers smart TV apps for Amazon Fire TVs, Android TVs, Apple TVs and Airplay, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung TVs, and Telstra TVs. Kanopy also offer mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire tablets. Log into these apps with your JU-affiliated Kanopy account to stream from anywhere. (More info on this FAQ: Mobile Apps and TV Apps)
  • Are there more FAQs for Kanopy I can browse?
  • Is there someone in the Swisher Library that can help me with using Kanopy?
  • Which Kanopy videos can I screen in my classroom?
    • If you are a JU faculty or staff member teaching a course, you can stream any of the films in the JU Kanopy library in your classrooms.
  • How do I make a custom playlist and clips in Kanopy? Can I share the playlists and clips I make?
    • Yes - you can make playlists and clips to share. First - you must be logged into your Kanopy account to create a custom playlist of videos. Click on "My Lists" in the upper left corner of the homepage. Click on "Custom Playlists" next, then "Create New Playlist" and give your custom playlist a name. When you have identified a video you would like to add to that playlist, find the "Playlists" link under the video. From there, you can add it to your playlist. The entire length of the video is automatically added to your custom playlist - if you prefer a clip of the video instead, you can edit the stop and start time of the video in the playlist using the edit tool. To share your playlist, open the playlist and click the Share tab, then click Copy Link for the "Share" or "Embed This Video" option. (More information on this FAQ: Creating Playlists and Clips.)
  • How do I post a Kanopy video in Blackboard?
    • Locate the "Share" link on the video's page. To embed the video in Blackboard, copy the "Embed This Video" link. While in Blackboard, choose the appropriate course and link in your course menu. Click on "Build Content" then create an "Item". Title the video, then click on the ellipses button to display the full tool bar. Choose the source code tool ( < > ). A "Source Code" pop up box will open - paste your copied Kanopy embed link there and save. After setting any other options you desire in the "Standard Options" section, be sure to click "Submit" in the bottom right corner. If you need assistance with sharing Kanopy videos in Blackboard, please contact library@ju.edu or JU's Academic Technology Team using their Contact Form.
  • The film I want my students to stream for my class is not in the JU Kanopy collection, what should I do?
    • We encourage you to fill out our suggestion form for the film you are wishing your students to stream. Please note the Swisher Library's acquisition policy on streaming video licenses: "The Library subscribes to a collection of streaming videos through Kanopy. If a member of JU faculty or staff wish to individually license streaming videos outside of this subscription, the Library will not assume the costs of those licenses. Licenses for streaming videos usually cost $100.00-$300.00 per year, per video. The Library will facilitate the ordering, access, and statistic gathering for any videos that faculty members or departments wish to fund licenses for in Kanopy or another academic library streaming video vendor (if applicable and available)."
  • Is there someone in the Swisher Library that can help me with using Kanopy?