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BBC Literary Adaptations in Video offers over 165 BBC production titles of famous English literature.  Watch how these timeless classics by Dickens, Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, Jane Austen and more come to life through well-known performers such as Mark Rylance, John Gielgud, Ian McKellen and Colin Firth. In addition, the collection includes face-to-face interviews with performers and producers involved to discuss their craft.

How to access BBC Literary Adaptations in Video

1. Start from the BBC Literary Adaptations in Video page on the Toronto Public Library website.
2. Click the Access Online button.
3. Sign in with your library card number and PIN/password.

How to basic search

1.  If you know exactly what you are looking for, type it in the top search bar and click on the magnifying glass icon on the right to get the search result(s).

How to refine search

1. Click on the funnel shape icon on the top centre to reveal filter options.
2. Filter options enable you to narrow down your search by subject, a person (actor, writer), content and release date.
3. Search result(s) will then be available below the X icon as image thumbnails with hyperlinks for video descriptions or related materials.

Streaming tools including transcript option

1. Streaming options such as pause, skipping, closed captioning, full screen, and settings are located at the bottom.
2. When streaming the video, click on the Transcript option on the top centre to reveal the transcript box on the right box.
3. Transcript writings will be highlighted in accordance with the actors' dialogues.
4. Type in a keyword in the search transcript bar to go to sections of the video that contain the word.

Transcript's translation option

1. During video play, click on the Transcript option at the top centre to open the transcript box on the right.
2. Click on the Translate option in the transcript box to choose from available languages.
3. Wait up to 30 seconds for the transcript to be fully translated.

Create video clip web links to share

1. Click on the Clips option on the top centre to create personalized clips with web links to share.
2. You will then be asked to log in to your or to create a free account at Alexander Street, the distributor for BBC Literary Adaptations in Video.
3. After login, clip generator tools will appear at the bottom.
4. When your section is selected, name your clip, choose Public (seen by all) or Institution (seen within your institution) under the Visibility menu at the bottom centre, and click on Save Changes.  Click on the share icon to retrieve the personalized clip's web link.

Related resources:

Check out the Toronto Public Library's Theatre, Performance and Design Collection for other similar resources:

1. On Toronto Public Library homepage, select eBooks & Online Content from the top bar.
2. Choose Digital Video and Music from the drop down menu.

Check out the video tutorial on this eResource

For more information or for help, please contact our Answerline service.