Pollution, erosion and watersheds are all common scientific topics, but many people would probably not associate Tony Hawk with earth and mineral science.

A midday film series hosted by the Fletcher L. Byrom Earth and Mineral Sciences Library brings environmental issues to earth and mineral science (EMS) and non-EMS majors at 12:15 every Wednesday afternoon in 105 Deike.

The film series has operated virtually every semester since the 1999-2000 academic year, said Linda Musser, head of the EMS Library. The films are almost always documentaries and run fewer than 45 minutes, Musser said.

"People can drop by on their lunch hours and view [the films]," she said.

Keepers of the Coast, the film to be shown today, is an award-winning documentary about the disastrous effects of beach pollution and the efforts and contributions of surfers worldwide to improve conditions.

From Sea to Summit: A Journey through the Watershed, another film in the series, explains the effects of pollution on water quality and the hydrological cycle, and features pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and pro snowboarder Tara Dakides. It will be shown March 15.

Penn State owns all of the films shown, and most are on-site and available in the stacks of the EMS Library, Musser said. She said the film series usually carries a semester-long theme, such as natural disasters and geography. This semester, Musser said she is showing films that she has recently added to the library's collection.

Musser said she tries to purchase films for the collection that are pertinent to the students and community. She said disaster films such as one depicting The Johnstown Flood of 1889 are usually the most popular.

"Films do a good job of putting a human face on things," Musser said. "They show many different sides of issues."

In the past, the series has attracted a variety of people, such as international students, students interested in specific EMS careers and residents of the community. "We wish more [people] would use the film series in some way so it would be useful," Beth Roberts, an EMS librarian, said.

Some students use 105 Deike as a study room while films are being screened. Ben Frederick (junior-petroleum engineering) sometimes uses the library annex to get work done.

"I [wasn't] aware of the film series, but I might come back if interested," Frederick said. "[105 Deike] is a good environment for studying; not many people know about it."

Musser said that despite the limited number of attendees, the series is beneficial. She said she started the screenings as a way to increase interest in the library's many resources.

Since starting the series, Musser said she has seen an increase in the number of films being borrowed and in the professors who assign their students films from the collection.

"I needed to do something to make [others] aware of the availability of materials," Musser said. "Attendance isn't the sole measure of success."