The School for Studies in Art and Culture’s teaching and research collections housed in the AVRC include:
Art and Architectural History
Our art and architectural history image collections consist of approx. 250,000 35mm slides and to date approx. 105,000 digital images (see link below – login required). Original images, largely acquired through donations, have and will continue to play a significant role in our collection development. Our latest acquisition is the teaching and research collection of Douglas Richardson. Douglas Richardson, Professor Emeritus, Department of Art, University of Toronto, is a renowned architectural historian who has written extensively on Canadian architecture. This collection is made up of hundreds of heavily notated original 35mm slides and accompanying related ephemera, like historic walking tour pamphlets and local heritage publications, and his personal library.
Our digital image collection also continues to be developed on a course-by-course basis and is intended to complement subscription-based digital image resources supported by Carleton University’s MacOdrum library, and those being developed by other post-secondary institutions.
Search for digital images of art and architecture in the SSAC Media collection using MDID3
The Archive of Canadian Woman Artists (ACWA), a multi-media archive made up of thousands of items, including books, exhibition catalogues, vertical files, 35mm slides, photographic prints, audio and video recordings. The archive was created by the late Natalie Luckyj, a former member of the School’s Art & Architectural History faculty. Published material in this collection is included in the AVRC Library Catalogue.
Film Studies
Our film and video collection consists of approx. 2500 VHS tapes, 4000 DVDs and BDs, 370 Laser Discs, and 5000 16mm films, including approx. one-third of all NFB productions donated by the National Film Board of Canada (partially housed across campus), and to date about a dozen 35mm films. Documentaries, features, television programs, experimental film and video are all represented.
Search our Film and Video Catalogue
A substantial research collection donated by individuals and institutions, specifically by the late Prof. Peter Harcourt (Emeritus) and the National Film Archives and the National Film Board Reference Library. It consists of a wide range of printed materials, such as film journals, periodicals, trade publications and newsletters, reference books, industry indexes, guides to resources and books, in addition to catalogues of the major Canadian film festivals, and includes the full runs of Canadian publications like Motion, The Canadian Cinematographer Newsletter, Cinema Canada, Séquences, Cinéma Québec, New Canadian Cinema/Nouveau Cinéma Canadien and the first Take One. Large sets of international publications include Screen, Educational Screen, Sight and Sound, Films Criticism, Films and Filming from Great Britain; Media International and Cinema Papers from Australia; American Radio and Television, Velvet Light Trap and Wide Angle from the United States; Cahiers du Cinéma, Cahiers de la Cinématheque and Film Francais from France. There are also vertical files on directors and Canadian films, compiled by Mark Langer and Peter Harcourt, former Carleton University faculty members.
Music
The AVRC now houses approximately 11,000, mostly analogue, recordings of Jazz music.
The Jacques Emond Jazz vinyl collection is made up of approximately 3300 LPs, and it is housed in 452 SP. Jacques Emond was a local Jazz enthusiast, former CKCU host, and founding programming manager of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. For those interested, the bulk of the Emond Jazz collection (CDs) is available through the main library.
Students are welcome to book the “Jacques Emond Collection Room, by emailing the AVRC for listening to the collection, quiet study, small group meetings, or to rehearse a seminar presentation.
Search the Jacques Emond Jazz Vinyl Catalogue
The Trevor Tolley Jazz Recording Collection is housed in room 454 SP. Trevor Tolley was a Professor of English and a serious Jazz enthusiast and collector, who over a period of 75 years amassed more than 7,000 records, the bulk of which are 10″, 78rpm recordings of pre-1942 Jazz. Access to this collection is by permission only. Please email Nancy Duff for more information.
AVRC Library
The AVRC also has a growing reference and research library made up of thousands of books, journals, and exhibition, festival, sales and distribution catalogues dealing with the visual arts and architecture.