We experience similar kinds of scenarios as Gary cited: Faculty are not always good about reserving stuff in advance for classroom use and students (sometimes faculty) aren't particularly good about returning things on time.
We have also found that faculty members will require that their entire class watch a film that they did NOT put on reserve (perhaps because they assume that it will just be here) and because our new policy is to allow all day checkout to students (due at the end of the day at closing time) if one student checks the item out in the morning and has it all day, all other students do not have access to it until the next day. It then often happens all over again on the next day when another student checks it out and keeps it all day. Of course if we become aware of that situation, we will put the item on reserve ourselves but that doesn't always happen quick enough as students sometimes just walk away if the item is not available rather than find out why. We used to have a limited loan period of four hours for student loans for items not on reserve. That definitely kept viewing of our DVDs in the media center for the most part because they were due back so soon. However, since we have implemented a policy of lending media to students all day (not restricted to the library) we have seen an increase in items not being returned until the next day or even days later and sometimes not at all. I'm seeing a lot more damaged DVDs come back as well some even after just one or two viewings. Our media is kept in closed stacks and our circulation is very high. Bonnie Brown Avery Fisher Center ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] Date: Friday, January 21, 2011 3:18 pm Subject: Re: [Videolib] Videos shelved separate or integrated into the stacks? To: [email protected] > 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 > > < > > > > > > > > Addlestone Report: blogs.cofc.edu/addlestonereport > > < > > > > Reference Services: 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. > 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.
