I also agree with Christine and Dorcas. We are a small art and design school. We circulate out-of-print art and design books worth hundreds of dollars, so the security of our mostly replaceable DVDs does not worry me too much. When I first arrived here a handful of our more expensive DVD titles ($350 and up) were housed in the reference area. The result was that they were never used, even by faculty. I considered that more of a waste of money than the risk of theft or loss, so I moved them to the circulating open stacks. We did an inventory last summer, and had about 1% loss. What loss we had was almost entirely the result of items that had been checked out but never returned.
-- Jacqueline L. Protka Digital Assets and Media Librarian Corcoran Library, Corcoran Gallery/College of Art + Design 500 Seventeenth St., NW Washington, DC 20006 t. 202-639-1765/f. 202-628-7908 e. [email protected] www.corcoran.org/library www.facebook.com/corcoranlibrary www.twitter.com/corcoranlibrary From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Haller, Dorcas W. Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 4:16 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Videolib] Where to Keep the DVDs I'm with Christine on this. We keep our DVDs in their cases, on open shelves. They used to be near the Circulation desk, but were moved to accommodate a new shelving configuration. They are now shelved in the back of the library. We have about 1500 films. Our collection includes documentary/educational films, feature films in both English and foreign languages, a Shakespeare collection, and some children's/family films. Video tapes (which we are phasing out slowly) are kept in my office, only because we no longer have room for them on the shelves, and they don't go out as much anymore. We have nothing that is really valuable or that can't be replaced (perhaps a video or two no longer in print). I would say we've almost NEVER had anyone steal our DVDs. Why would they? They can check them out, and they can renew them - exactly as they can with our circulating books. We lend to students, faculty, and staff, as well as to community residents. Our DVDs have tattle strips concealed in the cases, so the gate alarm will sound if someone does try to walk off with them. Dorcas Haller Librarian/ Professor/ Department Chair Community College of Rhode Island Library One Hilton Street, Providence, RI 02909 Phone: 401-455-6085 Fax: 401-455-6087 [email protected] From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of CROWLEY, CHRISTINE Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 3:46 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Videolib] Question Ours are all on open shelves, nothing is stored "in back". The notion that DVDs are somehow more valuable than our freely accessible books bothers me a bit. Now, I am not talking about any special collections of rare or ultra expensive materials. My motto has been "We buy this stuff for people to use" and I mean it. That said, store your most valuable items in a place where they can be monitored and put everything else out. If you care about circulation and usage statistics, you will be amazed at what folks will borrow and/or view if they find it by serendipity. Browsing the real thing, instead of browsing through the online catalog will prove to be more popular and your community of borrowers will appreciate it. Christine Crowley Dean of Learning Resources Northwest Vista College 3535 N. Ellison Dr. San Antonio, TX 78251 210.486.4572 voice | 210.486.4504 fax The Alamo Colleges are on a four-day work week for June and July. We are closed on Fridays. PLEASE NOTE: I AM RETIRING AS OF AUG. 19, 2011 NEW LIBRARY CONTACT INFO UPON REQUEST From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Streepy Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 2:32 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Videolib] Question Hello all, Sadly this is the summer of my discontent and I have to essentially shut my department down in the name of streamlining services and fiscal whatevers. All I know is my department is on the chopping block and I have to help move the collection to the circulation department. The head of circ is brainstorming and on of the things she brought up is making the collection browsable. We lack the funding to make the collection secure, so the thought is to go the empty case on the shelf and DVD kept behind a counter. So I am asking those libraries that have this kind of model, how are you storing your DVDs? Do you have them in sleeves, and if so how are they stored? Any help you can provide would be nice. thanks jhs John H. Streepy Media Services Supervisor Library-Media Circulation James E. Brooks Library Central Washington University 400 East University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548 (509) 963-2861 http://www.lib.cwu.edu/media "Hand to hand combat just goes with the territory. All part of being a librarian" -- James Turner "Rex Libris" Transitus profusum est nocens!
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.
