The purpose and content of this course is to provide an introduction to the world of audiovisual documents (photographs, sound recordings, moving images). This includes their history, physical makeup, stages of creation, appraisal, acquisition, arrangement and description and preservation. As well there will be a brief introduction to copyright as well as the licensing and distribution ramifications of using, exhibiting, and re-purposing AV documents. By focusing on the above knowledge set, the course will reveal how important they are in research terms both as an adjunct to other types of documents and in their own right. This exposure will make it evident that audiovisual documents deserve to be given the fullest consideration in archival and library management decision-making, as much as any other types of documents.