About the Collection
The Rovi Media Collection was donated to the MSU Libraries in March 2015 by the Rovi Corporation.It includes nearly 700,000 music CDs, more than 160,000 DVDs and more than 17,000 video games, and is one of the largest publicly accessible media collections in the world. The collection is accessible to the MSU community via the Library catalog, or through the custom search box above, and can be requested by clicking the "Request Rovi" button in the item record.
At this time, only CDs and DVDs are circulating. Selected titles from the Gaming Collection are available for in-person, recreational or academic use in the Video Game Labs, which are located in the Digital and Multimedia Library on the 4th floor, West Wing of the Main Library.
The processing and cataloging of games is time-intensive and ongoing. Please help us by suggesting game titles, platforms or equipment that we might prioritize, or that you may want to use right away, by submitting a Gaming Feedback form. Games alone may be searched or browsed through our Catalog of Available Games and Unprocessed Games pages; the search box above will return multimedia results including video game soundtracks, game-related films, and much more. A list of even more unprocessed items, which are not yet supported by our in-house equipment (including more than 3,600 handheld console games) is available upon Gaming Feedback request.
If you are interested in making a donation, please see our Gaming Wishlist and Gaming Donation Form. If you have a legitimate use for anything other than the games themselves, such as digital images of game packages, or items such as the original packaging and ephemera, please use the Gaming Feedback form, be as specific as possible, and you may expect a response within two business days.
About the Gaming Collection
The Rovi Gaming Collection consists of more than 17,000 console and PC games created between approximately 1993 and 2015, with a few titles dating to the mid-1980s. The collection includes numerous consoles, specialized peripherals, and associated collectors editions and advertising materials. The number of titles and associated consoles are represented here:
Lending Policies
MSU Faculty, staff and students
If you are MSU faculty, staff or a student, you may request items from the Rovi collection by using the "Request Rovi" button found in the library catalog for each item. Items requested by MSU faculty, staff and students are generally available for checkout from the Circulation desk the day after the request is made (except weekends and holidays). You will receive an email when the item is ready to be checked out.
- Rovi materials may be checked out for two weeks, with no renewals.
- After two weeks, overdue fines of $1 per item per day will be charged.
- MSU students, faculty and staff are limited to 10 Rovi requests at one time.
State of Michigan residents
If you are a resident of the State of Michigan, you may request Rovi materials via the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog (Melcat). Requests are currently being filled as our current staffing capacity allows. Unfortunately, the overwhelming demand for these materials means that we currently are not able to fulfill all of the requests we receive on a daily basis. If you do not receive your request, please see your local library to try to find it at another library. We are currently working towards increasing our capacity to meet this demand. Rovi materials loaned through Melcat are subject to the same loan and fine policies for all other CDs and DVDs: Check with your local public library for more details. On Thursday, December 23, 2021, MeLCat Borrowing and Lending was suspended due to a significant software transition. We hope to restore service soon.
BTAA patrons
If you are a patron at a BTAA institution with access to the UBorrow interlibrary loan system, you may request Rovi materials via the UBorrow interface. Requests are currently being filled as our current staffing capacity allows. Once requests exceed our daily processing limit, the Rovi collection will become unavailable until the next day. Rovi materials loaned through UBorrow are subject to the same loan and fine policies for all other CDs and DVDs: Check with your local library for more details.
Video games
If you are MSU faculty, staff or a student, you may check out and use items from the Catalog of Available Games within the Gerald M Kline Digital and Multimedia Center (DMC) on 4 West of the Main Library. Currently installed game consoles include the Nintendo 64, GameCube and Wii; Sony PlayStation, PS2 and PS3; Sega Saturn and Dreamcast; Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360, as well as several gaming PCs with high-end graphics cards.
Console games require a Video Game Lab reservation to play. Anyone may use a free gaming PC during DMC open hours, but some software may require disc checkout from the service desk. Game items may be checked out for up to 4 hours at a time, for building use only.
Video Game Labs may be reserved in advance, or used on a walk-up, first-come, first-served basis, for up to 4 hours at a time. Using one's own consoles is permitted with assistance from the staff.
The Gaming Collection contains many items that are not yet available for use. Faculty, students and staff may search or browse Unprocessed Games that are playable on the current equipment, and request games for priority processing or near-term use. Requests of this nature are handled as staffing and time will allow, and fulfillment duration may vary. Please use the Gaming Feedback form to inquire. A response to feedback may be expected within two business days, except in cases of a university closure or holiday.