Hi Jared Yeah, this topic pops up periodically. There are widely divergent opinions. It's a fairly complex issue, actually: a lot depends on 1) the mission of the media collection (and the library in general); 2) the nature of the collection (all video is not created equal in terms of pricing and content); the uses of the collection; existing access policies; circulation infrastructure; facilities...and other stuff as well.
If, as in my collection, the primary function is to support current teaching and research, I have a lot of qualms about opening circulation to the general student population (i.e., for use outside of the Media Center). Faculty are never good about reserving stuff in advance for classroom use; students (and sometimes faculty) aren't particularly good about returning things on time. A recipe for disaster! There are other issues with open circulation, of course. If there are rarities, fragile titles, or expensive things in the collection, open circulation can be a real problem. The notion of splitting a collection of any size into circulating and non-circulating makes the hair (what there is left of it) on the back of my neck stand up. We already have an unspeakably baroque set of circulation gambits (based on patron status), and the idea making things even more complex gives me the whim-wams. But then again, most everything gives me the whim-wams these days. I know a lot of my pals on this list have different opinions, based on local need and circumstance...so let er' rip... gary handman > Hello, > > > > I know this issue has been brought up on this list before, but the whole > idea of videos in open stacks (integrated with the regular book > collection) vs. a separate video collection (in open or closed stacks) > is coming up at our library with a vengeance. I would like to get a > test of the waters among those on this list about what your library > does, does it work, and what would make it better. Certainly both > horror stores as well as happy sunshine stores would be appreciated. > > > > For the record my situation is thus: We are the academic library for > the College of Charleston (about 11,000 students). We have about 8000 > videos (VHS and DVD) in our separate, closed stack collection. We only > circulate to faculty (3 days). Reserve videos for faculty are at the > circulation desk. Students must view videos in library only. To add to > the complication, we recently concluded an agreement with our Student > Government Association (SGA) to create an SGA funded collection of > "popular" video titles that would be circulated (3 days) to students > only. This collection would be located on shelves near the circulation > desk near our browsing books. We are in the process of ordering titles > now. > > > > What are your thoughts? Beyond what your library actually does, what do > you (philosophically) THINK and FEEL is the "best" approach to making a > Media Collection available to faculty and students? Is spreading the > videos throughout the regular collection a good thing? Is a separate > video collection a good thing? Many variables exist (open/closed > stacks, partial integration, partial circulation etc.). 'll gladly > allow myself to be directed to any good articles or links on the subject > too. Thanks. > > > > Jared > > > > PS: I just found a good article from Library Trends (Winter 2010) on > the subject (that I have not read yet): > "Making the Most of Your Video Collection: Trends in Patron Access and > Resource Sharing" by Barbara Bergman of Minnesota State University" > > > > > > > > Jared Alexander Seay > > Reference Librarian > > Head, Media Collections > > Addlestone Library > > College of Charleston > > Charleston SC 29424 > > > > Main Office: 843-953-1428 blogs.cofc.edu/seayj/ > > Media Collections: 843-953-8040 blogs.cofc.edu/media collections > <http://blogs.cofc.edu/mediacollections/> > > > > Addlestone Report: blogs.cofc.edu/addlestonereport > <http://blogs.cofc.edu/addlestonereport/> > > Reference Services: blogs.cofc.edu/refblog > <http://blogs.cofc.edu/refblog/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of > issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic > control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in > libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve > as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of > communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video > producers and distributors. > Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library UC Berkeley 510-643-8566 [email protected] http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
