Theat 270: History of Theater Up To 1700
Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Finding Scripts
Alt Text for Finding Scripts Slides
Title Slide: Finding Scripts and Productions
[Image: St. Olaf Libraries & IT logo]
Slide 1: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
St. Olaf Libraries also have scripts within their collections.
You can search for the Libraries' scripts in Catalyst.
Slide 2: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
Go to https://www.stoalf.edu/library and click the Advanced Search option.
[Image: screenshot of the Catalyst search functions on the Libraries' homepage. A red arrow points to the button for "advanced search."]
Slide 3: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
In Advanced Search, make sure you've ticked the "Books" box along the top of the screen.
Otherwise, Catalyst tends to throw in videos of plays, too.
[Image: screenshot of the advanced search format options; a red arrow points to the "Books" radial button.]
Slide 4: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
If you know the title or playwright, search those for best results. Be sure to set the filter to "Title" or "Author" as appropriate.
[Image: screenshot of the search filters in Catalyst. The search is for the play titled Equus. Red arrows point to the "Title or Series" filter and to the word "Equus."]
Slide 5: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
If you're just looking to see what's available, try setting the Genre filter to "plays" OR "scripts". The placement of the quotation marks counts.
[Image: Screenshot of the Catalyst search filters, set to Genre (first dropdown menu) contains (second dropdown menu) "plays" OR "scripts" (search box). It is important that the two words "plays" and "scripts" are both in their own set of quotation marks.]
Slide 6: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
If you know what general subject you'd like the play to be about, add that, too, in a Subject filter.
[Image: Screenshot of two lines of Catalyst search filters, set to look for plays or scripts about Minnesota. The first line is set to Genre (first dropdown menu) contains (second dropdown menu) "plays" OR "scripts" (search box). The second line is set to AND (first dropdown menu) Subject (second dropdown menu) contains (third dropdown menu) Minnesota (search box).]
Slide 7: Finding Scripts in Catalyst
Getting useless Digital Theatre Plus results? Avoid them by adding "NOT Title of Series is (exact) Digital Theatre Plus" to your search parameters.
[Image: Screenshot of two lines of Catalyst search filters, set to look for plays or scripts, but to exclude results from Digital Theatre Plus. The first line is set to Genre (first dropdown menu) contains (second dropdown menu) "plays" OR "scripts" (search box). The second line is set to NOT (first dropdown menu) Title or Series (second dropdown menu) is (exact) (third dropdown menu) Digital Theatre Plus (search box).]
Slide 8: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
If you can't find what you want in Catalyst, it's time to look somewhere bigger -- WorldCat! WorldCat is an international library catalog.
Head to worldcat.org. If you are on campus, WorldCat will ask if you want the St. Olaf version. Say yes.
If you are off campus, the direct link for the St. Olaf WorldCat page is https://stolaf.on.worldcat.org.
Slide 9: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
In the Advanced Search function of WorldCat, set your Subject filter to "plays" OR "scripts. WorldCat does not have a Genre filter. The placement of the quotation marks is important.
I added a Subject search for Africa, too.
[Image: screenshot of the Advanced Search filters in WorldCat. The first line has the Search Index dropdown set to Subject, and the search term box set to "plays" OR "scripts". The quotation marks around each word are necessary. The second line has the Operator dropdown set to AND. The Search Index is set to Subject, and the search term box is set to Africa (no quotation marks necessary.)
Slide 10: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
To limit your results to playscripts, as opposed to video recordings, set the Format dropdown to Book.
[Image: screenshot of WorldCat's Advanced Search Format dropdown menu, set to Book.]
Slide 11: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
If you see this message in the results list, then St.Olaf and/or Carleton should have the item. Click the link to see the record in Catalyst!
[Image: screenshot of a hyperlink reading "At St.Olaf & Carleton College Libraries (Bridge)".]
Occasionally, the link pulls up an error message in Catalyst. If this happens, run a Title search directly in Catalyst to pull the item's record up.
Slide 12: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
If you see this message in the results list, then St Olaf & Carleton do not have the item. You'll need to borrow it from another library.
[Image: screenshot of a message reading "At other libraries worldwide."]
Slide 13: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
Click into the item's record. On the right side of the screen, click the blue Resource Sharing button.
[Image: screenshot of the "Access Options" section of a WorldCat record. There is a blue button that reads "Request Item through Resource Sharing."]
Slide 14: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
Click the "resource sharing" button takes you back to Catalyst to request the item. Click the "Sign In" button and log in with your stolaf username and password.
[Image: screenshot of the sign-in bar of a Catalyst record. The complete text is "Please sign in to check if there are any request options. Sign in." The link is on the phrase "sign in."]
Slide 15: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
Once you have signed in, click the "Request via Resource Sharing" link.
[Image: screenshot of the resource sharing link. The complete text of the link is "Request via Resource Sharing/Interlibrary Loan."]
Slide 16: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
This should pull up a form with all the info already filled in. Double check that it is correct and click the "submit request" button.
[Image: screenshot of a "resource sharing request" form, filled out for the play Medicine for Love.]
Slide 17: Finding Scripts in WorldCat
Requests for physical materials can take a week or so to fulfill, depending on how far the item has to travel. You'll get an email when it arrives! Pick it up at the circulation desk.
Slide 18: Finding Filmed Productions
Access Catalyst at https://www.stolaf.edu/library and click the Advanced Search option.
[Image: screenshot of the Catalyst search functions on the Libraries' homepage. A red arrow points to the button for "advanced search."]
Slide 19: Finding Filmed Productions
At the top of the Advanced Search screen, tick the button for Audio/Visual.
[Image: screenshot of the Advanced Search function of Catalyst. A red arrow points to the radial button for Audio/Visual materials.]
Slide 20: Finding Filmed Productions
Then run a search as you normally would. This one is a title search.
[Image: screenshot of the Advanced Search function of Catalyst. The Audio/Visual radial button is ticked. The first search filter is set to Title or Series (first dropdown) contains (second dropdown) Much Ado About Nothing (search box).
Slide 21: Finding Filmed Productions
note: this search will also pull up recorded reviews or interviews about Much Ado. If you just want the play itself, change "contains" to "is (exact" and make sure you've got the exact title.
[Image: screenshot of the Advanced Search function of Catalyst. A red arrow points to the "contains" dropdown, which can be reset to "is (exact)."]
Slide 22: Finding Filmed Productions
My Much Ado search pulled up DVDs, BluRay discs, and streaming options.
Our principle theater studies streaming options are:
- Digital Theatre Plus (veddy, veddy British; plays and study guides)
- Theatre in Video (plays and documentaries about the theater)
- Films on Demand (mostly documentaries, but includes some plays)
Slide 23: Finding Filmed Productions
You can go directly to those streaming services to search their contents by clicking the databases tab in Catalyst.
[Image: screenshot of the Catalyst section of the Libraries' homepage. A red arrow points to the Databases tab.]
Slide 24: Finding Filmed Productions
Then search for the streaming databases's title in the Go search box.
[Image: screenshot of the databases search box, set to Digital Theatre Plus. The button to initiate the search is labeled "GO."]
Slide 25: Finding Filmed Productions
Click the link in the results list to be taken to the database.
[Image: screenshot of the results list showing Digital Theatre Plus. A red arrow points to the title, which is a hyperlink to the database.]