Cinematic Arts Library

Cinematic Arts Library Exterior
Cinematic Arts Library Film Reels

Library Hours

  • Cinematic Arts Library
  • Tue Mar 19
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed Mar 20
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu Mar 21
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri Mar 22
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat Mar 23
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun Mar 24
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon Mar 25
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue Mar 26
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed Mar 27
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu Mar 28
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri Mar 29
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat Mar 30
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun Mar 31
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon Apr 01
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue Apr 02
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed Apr 03
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu Apr 04
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri Apr 05
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 06
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun Apr 07
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon Apr 08
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue Apr 09
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed Apr 10
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu Apr 11
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri Apr 12
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 13
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun Apr 14
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon Apr 15
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue Apr 16
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed Apr 17
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu Apr 18
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri Apr 19
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 20
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun Apr 21
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon Apr 22
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue Apr 23
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed Apr 24
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu Apr 25
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri Apr 26
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat Apr 27
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun Apr 28
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon Apr 29
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue Apr 30
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed May 01
    9am to 10pm
  • Thu May 02
    9am to 10pm
  • Fri May 03
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat May 04
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sun May 05
    noon to 8pm
  • Mon May 06
    9am to 10pm
  • Tue May 07
    9am to 10pm
  • Wed May 08
    9am to 5pm
  • Thu May 09
    9am to 5pm
  • Fri May 10
    1pm to 5pm
  • Sat May 11
    Closed
  • Sun May 12
    Closed
  • Mon May 13
    9am to 5pm
  • Tue May 14
    9am to 5pm
  • Wed May 15
    9am to 5pm
  • Thu May 16
    9am to 5pm
  • Fri May 17
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat May 18
    Closed
  • Sun May 19
    Closed
  • Mon May 20
    9am to 5pm
  • Tue May 21
    9am to 5pm
  • Wed May 22
    9am to 5pm
  • Thu May 23
    9am to 5pm
  • Fri May 24
    9am to 5pm
  • Sat May 25
    Closed
  • Sun May 26
    Closed
  • Mon May 27
    Closed
  • Tue May 28
    9am to 5pm

Collections in the Cinematic Arts Library Archives are now available for consultation by USC faculty, staff, and students. Researchers please be aware due to the impact of COVID-19 we are drastically understaffed, so allow six to eight weeks for most archival research requests to be filled
 

Stephen L. Hanson, Head  (213) 740-7273

For reference assistance, please contact: cin@usc.edu.

For archives assistance, please contact ctlibarc@usc.edu or contact Sandra Garcia-Myers 213-740-8383. 

About this Library

The University of Southern California Cinematic Arts Library's primary mission is to support the curriculum of the School of Cinematic Arts and to foster study and research. In addition to an extensive book collection, the library also holds many archives focusing on the history of the film industry and containing many rarely seen photographs, as well as scripts, scores and other artifacts.

The Cinematic Arts Library is committed to becoming a multimedia archive of materials ranging from the raw materials that go into the making of motion pictures, to the finished products themselves, and to all of the new technologies for preserving the moving image and presenting it to a new generation of filmgoers. The library promotes interdisciplinary teaching and collaborative projects such as digital imaging and archiving.

The Cinematic Arts Library is located on the ground floor of the Doheny Memorial Library on the University Park campus.

There are no posted reference hours at the Cinematic Arts Library, but please contact the library for reference questions and to schedule a time when a staff member can be available to answer any reference inquiries. 
 

The Louis B. Mayer Film and Television Study Center

Established through a grant from The Louis B. Mayer Foundation, The Louis B. Mayer Study center offers a viewing collection of almost 13,000 motion picture and television titles in DVD, Laser disc, and VHS formats. Videos may be checked out by USC faculty for classroom screenings in all disciplines, or may be placed on course reserve in Leavey Library if not required for cinema and television classes.

The Study Center maintains 20 viewing stations open to Cinema and Theater majors, and to all students enrolled in the School of Cinematic Arts film and television courses, the Thornton School of Music's film scoring classes, or with a legitimate USC course-related assignment. Other students may view films in the Leavey Library's 24 hour DVD Center. All viewing within the Louis B. Mayer Study Center must be course-related in accordance with U.S. Copyright Law governing public exhibition.

Requests to view videos for individual course-related research may be made.

 

The David L. Wolper Center and Archives

Sandra Garcia-Myers, Director  (213) 740-8383

The producer of some 800 collective works, David L. Wolper is a recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an inductee to the Television Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, Mr. Wolper's television programs received more than 50 Emmy, 7 Golden Globe, and 5 Peabody Awards. His motion picture films garnered 20 Oscar nominations, and 3 awards.

David Wolper donated his personal archives to be housed in the David L. Wolper Center at the University of Southern California. This collection of memorabilia traces Wolper's career over the past half-century of entertainment and covers the process of filmmaking from the initial stages of development through distribution. The holdings of the David L. Wolper Center are primarily paper materials and viewing copies of his films on tape or DVD.  The Wolper Center does not have his actual films or the original footage that he used to make them.

The David L. Wolper Center is located on the ground floor of USC's Doheny Memorial Library. Please contact us for an appointment.

 

Warner Bros. Archives

Bree Russell, Curator  Contact: WBArchives@cinema.usc.edu

Presented to USC by Warner Communications in 1977, the USC Warner Bros. Archives is the largest single studio collection in the world. It is the only collection to bring production, distribution and exhibition records together to document the activities of a vertically integrated studio. The making of many classic films such as The Jazz SingerCasablanca and Rebel without a Cause is documented from story purchase through theatrical release and chronicled down to the daily contributions of writers, directors, producers and actors. 

The USC Warner Bros. Archives contains the records of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. and its motion picture-related subsidiaries (including First National and Vitagraph). The records document the period from 1918 (the release of the brothers’ first major feature film) through 1968 (the sale of the studio to Seven Arts). Also included are extensive production records for Warner Bros. television series from 1955-1968. The holdings include:

  • Legal, production, story and publicity files 
  • Correspondence, memoranda and documents 
  • Scripts, treatments, outlines and synopses 
  • Publicity and historical stills 
  • Film music scores, orchestral parts and original sketches 
  • Art department stills and set drawings 
  • Animation drawings and backgrounds 
  • Stanley-Warner theater chain exhibition records 

Materials may be viewed by appointment only.

The Warner Bros. Archives are managed by the School of Cinematic Arts.

For Warner Bros. Archive inquiries, please fill out this archival request form. 
If you have further questions regarding the Warner Bros. Archive, please write to ctlibarc@usc.edu.