Research Guides: Film and Video Collections: Other Los Angeles Collections

Other Los Angeles Area Collections

List of other library video collections and film archives available in the greater Los Angeles area.

Academy Film Archive
Archival film collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, accessible at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study.
Alliance Francaise de Los Angeles
Includes screening of TV5 on site, a Cine Club, and a Media Center.
American Radio Archives (ARA)
Located at UC Santa Barbara and formerly housed at the Thousand Oaks Public Library, the ARA includes numerous papers and show scripts from the history of radio in the United States.
Archive of American Television
Collects interviews on all aspects of television production history. Administered by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation.
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive: Animated Film Preservation
Information on the preservation work of ASIFA-Hollywood to salvage and digitize animated works.
Beverly Hills Public Library
BHPL is separate from the Los Angeles Public system, but any L.A. resident can get a card. The Library also has many DVDs available for checkout.
Center for Home Movies
Collects and preserves home movies and amateur films.
Center for Visual Music
Archive devoted to visual music, experimental animation and avant-garde media.
Goethe-Institut Los Angeles
Houses a large collection of multi-region German films on video and DVD, and is open to the public.
Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive (USC)
Includes USC student films, Motion Picture Technology Archive, plus theatrical and educational films.
iotaCenter
Collects, preserves, and distributes classic abstract films.
Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles
The Institute has a library which includes 1500 VHS and DVD titles, in addition to books.
Japanese American National Museum
The Hirasaki National Resource Center (HNRC) in the museum maintains a moving image collection.
Los Angeles Public Library
LAPL has many DVDs and some online streaming content via Hoopla, Kanopy, and other databases. Users must check out DVD titles at the holding branch.
Paley Center for Media
Originally known as The Museum of Television & Radio. with holdings in both Los Angeles in New York. Paley's permanent collections contain thousands of advertisements, television, and radio programs.
Surfing Heritage & Culture Center (SHACC)
Located in San Clemente, the Center houses an archive of "surfing artifacts, surfboards, memorabilia, photography, video, periodical and scholarly works."
Thousand Oaks Public Library
One of the strongest public library collections in the Valley, including videos.
USC Cinematic Arts Library
The main multimedia library for film and video at the U. of Southern California.
Wende Museum (Culver City)
Includes films documenting Cold War-era Eastern Europe.

Los Angeles Video Stores

Links to selected Los Angeles area video stores (excluding major chains or online only companies like Netflix), particularly those with independent, out of print, or foreign film availability. This list includes stores offering video rentals, as well as those selling new and used DVDs.

Amoeba Music
No rentals, but offers a selection of new and used DVDs.
Cinefile Video
Provides video rentals with membership. Located in West Los Angeles next to the Nuart Theatre.
Fastlane Video
Located in Whittier, offering media in a variety of formats.
Foreign Exchange Blu-Ray Imports
Located in Culver City, this store also has an online shop and specializes in imported Blu-Ray discs.
Record Surplus
Located in Santa Monica, selling DVDs in addition to music recordings on a variety of formats.
Vidiots
Originally located in Santa Monica on Pico Blvd., Vidiots is an independent video store and theater now located in Eagle Rock.
Videotheque
Located in South Pasadena