Video Trust

Founded in 1978, Video Trust is a membership association that educates library professionals on best practices for visual media acquisition, usage, preservation and access, and advocates on their behalf with producers and distributors. We believe in the power of film and video to tell stories, enrich lives, and are united in our commitment for all to learn from this important part of our cultural record.

It’s impossible to imagine a world without the influence of film. It carries a powerful cultural influence and is the world’s most widespread means of modern communication.

Librarians need advanced knowledge of film content, trends, commerce, copyright and technology. Education and access are keys. That’s where we come in.

We work for the advancement of media libraries on all levels. We offer education in the form of monthly coffee chats, an annual conference, a monthly newsletter — and a quarterly members-only magazine (coming summer 2022).

In addition, we support universities with the Academic Libraries Video Trust (ALVT), a repository of digital versions of selected audiovisual (AV) works available only in VHS and other obsolete formats, allowing educational institutions and libraries access to archives for the preservation and replacement of works in their collection.