Well I suspect the indie stuff being available in digital only is not some plot to keep them out of the hands of libraries and educators but more a cost issue. I would bet if you could contact filmmakers and distributors for these they would be MORE than willing to work something out if they could get a reasonable fee.
By all means please explore this with your grant. Jessica On Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 5:00 PM, Randy Pitman <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi John, > > This will be one of the defining issues for media librarians in the coming > decade as at least some physical media is gradually being supplanted by > digital-only options. Without sounding too George-Lucas-ish, this is the > true dark side of digital--a stark underscoring of the fact that possession > (physical) is the proverbial 9/10ths of the law. > > I am increasingly seeing press releases that highlight digital-only > releases--titles that have no mechanism in place for lending/showing in > public or academic libraries. What's sadder is that these are not crap > Hollywood rom-coms, bro-mances, and paint-by-number action flicks, but > rather serious indie efforts and--most worrisome--compelling documentaries > that may not have any real commercial legs. > > It's excellent news that you have a grant to explore possible solutions to > this dilemma. I suspect that other VRT members are also very concerned > about > this issue. > > Best, > > Randy > > Randy Pitman > Publisher/Editor > Video Librarian > 3435 NE Nine Boulder Dr. > Poulsbo, WA 98370 > Tel: (360) 626-1259 > Fax (360) 626-1260 > E-mail: [email protected] > Web: www.videolibrarian.com > -----Original Message----- > From: John Vallier > Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 1:34 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Videolib] Online-Only Media and Libraries > > Hi Everyone, > > I have a grant this year to help propose solutions to the online-only music > issue facing libraries (that is, music that can't be purchased on a > tangible > format and can't be purchased as a download by libraries b/c of restrictive > terms of use, e.g., Amazon, iTunes, Google). More about the project is > here: > http://guides.lib.washington.edu/imls2014 > > This issue extends beyond sound recordings, of course, and into the world > of > video. For example, I was just asked to purchase and download a video > that's > only available on Vimeo. When asked if we could purchase and download the > video for our library, Vimeo wrote: "The license issued to you when you > rent > or buy VOD work is for personal viewing only. It does not allow you to > redistribute the work or show it publicly." > > Are any of you encountering this issue, i.e., where you can't buy a title > b/c it's licensed for personal use only and there is no DVD or other > tangible alternative? If so, could you let me know what the titles are > (off-list is probably best, then I can share w/ the group). Having a list > on > hand may help convince creators, distributors and policy makers that a > library-friendly solution is needed. > > Thanks, > > John > _________ > John Vallier > head, distributed media > University of Washington Libraries, Seattle > http://guides.lib.washington.edu/vallier > > > > 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. >
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.
