Congratulations to C-SPAN! The Wonderful and Important C-SPAN Video Library Wins a Peabody Award

A multimedia database provided by a cable/Internet broadcaster has won a very prestigious award.

Since the C-SPAN Video Library first went live in in March, 2009 we have written and said many times that it’s not only a useful and important research tool today but will likely become even more important as time moves forward.

Historians, educators, students and others can now not only read about events and people but also quickly, simply, and for free view programs* in their entirety either shortly after it airs on C-SPAN or at any other time.

If you’ve never visited the C-SPAN Video Library (CSVL) we encourage you to take a look as soon as possible. We think you’ll be amazed at both the content and the many ways it can be searched.

The CSVL is home to just about every second of video that has ever aired/streamed on all of C-SPAN channels.

It’s easy for novice searchers to find what they’re looking for but the many search options also make it a very powerful tool for those who have the skills to use those options.

It’s important to remember that while C-SPAN is home to live coverage of sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Congress it’s also home to video of hearings, rally’s, interviews with authors , journalists, and government officials, conferences, press conferences, book talks, and other events both inside and outside the beltway.

Congratulations to Brian Lamb (C-SPAN Founder) and the entire C-SPAN team on winning a Peabody and creating a search tool that is already useful but as we said earlier will most likely become one of the most important research resources created during the early years of the 21st Century.

Here’s how the 2011 Peabody Awards Winners Announcement Described the Video Library:

C-Span’s new Video Library-a free, searchable website uploaded with every program the public-affairs channel has televised since 1987-was honored with a Peabody for its contribution to history, scholarship and public life.

Official C-SPAN Announcement

See Also: Using Material from the C-SPAN Video Library

* In many cases text transcripts are also available.

Filed under: Awards, Interviews, Libraries, News