2021-11-05 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 9, Issue 10
Featured Story
Death of DVDs?
Every semester, one of my coworkers, Lisa, meets with all of the Communication 101 and several of the English 101 classes for sessions on information skills in the library. Because COMM 101 is required for all associate degrees, Lisa meets with a wide range of students.
During one of her sessions this week, she asked the class of thirty students how many of them had the ability to play DVDs. Only four raised their hands. Note, she wasn’t asking how many watched DVDs she only asked who had the capability. Eighty-seven percent of the class (mostly first-year students) didn’t have a DVD player. They didn’t even have a disc drive on their computer.
Lisa posed the same question to the next class, another group of thirty COMM 101 students. This time, fifteen students raised their hands. Where the first class only had thirteen percent of students with the ability to play DVDs, the second class was at fifty percent.
While Lisa only polled a total of sixty students, the results were still noteworthy. Eighty-seven percent without DVD capability in the first class. Fifty percent without DVD capability in the second class. Altogether, that means sixty-eight percent of those questioned don’t have a DVD player or a disc drive in their computer.
When looking at our academic library’s DVD collection, these results pose another question:
How long before DVDs are obsolete? It’s not a question of will they become obsolete? DVDs will follow so many other diminishing formats. VHS movies and cassette tapes and vinyl records. It’s a given that as technology advances, old formats must be set aside to make room for the new.
We have hundreds of DVDs at our community college library, and despite their thin size, they take up a decent amount of shelf space. A lot of space for a lot of movies for a very limited number of check-outs.
However, as I researched the current use of DVDs in libraries around the United States, I found a general consensus:
Yes, DVD-usage is dwindling, but not for everyone.
Particularly among older and poorer populations, DVDs are their best option for at-home video entertainment. For those unfamiliar with technology, they are simpler to use than streaming services. And a one-time DVD player purchase is considerably more affordable than a monthly streaming subscription.
It’s also a bit more complicated, as there wouldn’t be a new physical format to replace the removed DVDs. In contrast, when VHS tapes disappeared, it was only because DVDs were rapidly becoming the preferred media for users.
All that is to say: how do we best serve our communities?
In the article, Are We Reaching the End of Library DVD Collections? by Douglas Crane, Loudon County Public Library’s Director Chang Liu points out that many niche categories are not easily found on online streaming platforms. This not only includes his mentioned Bollywood movies, but likely also a large selection of our niche academic movies and documentaries.
While removing DVD collections may help libraries as they expand other areas of their space, such as graphic novels or perhaps additional study space, it will also take opportunity away from those who do not have online access to movies, documentaries, and television series.
As society progresses, this will likely be a problem we encounter again and again- especially as libraries. Most of us realize that libraries are far more than our collections. We are a space for people to study, to attend programs, to use computers and the internet. I think it is imperative that we have continuing conversations of how to best serve our communities.
I am twenty-five years old. I read almost exclusively eBooks. I haven’t used a CD player since before I was a teenager. And I don’t own a DVD player (not even on my computer).
Regardless of your opinion on physical and digital formats, I think it’s important to consider where we go from here.
How do we adapt libraries to cater to our rapidly-advancing society without leaving behind those who want nothing to do with it?
– Brooke Urbaniak
Fail Forward
We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.
Falling on Your Face
Go to any buffet-style restaurant and you will likely be wowed by the person who piles an impressive mountain of food on their plate and then casually walks to their table, spilling nary a drop. In the last few weeks I have felt like that person, but instead of food I have piled way too much work related sustenance on my overburdened plate. I thought that I, too, was handling it all until I tripped headfirst with my plate full of food; i.e., I failed forward and missed the deadline for our next round of articles for the Curiosity Report! Now instead of that casual diner I feel more like the loser at a hot dog eating contest. Food metaphors aside, I plan to try to remove some excess food from my life and focus on what is important. And maybe with the extra time I have I’ll go grab a hot dog.
– Gretchen Perkins
Editor’s Note: Thank you for your honesty, Gretchen! The deadlines are more like a guideline anyway ;)
Crush Corner
Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!
University of Illinois Library
The University Library at the University of Illinois is one of my favorite academic libraries to watch on Instagram. Not only do they capture beautiful photos of their physical space (the above photo is their reading room!), but they also feature images of vintage books, student art, and upcoming library presenters. The librarians here do a fantastic job of showcasing their spaces, services, and book collections. It’s an inspiring account with over 2,500 followers. You can find @uillinoislibrary on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/uillinoislibrary/.
Photo Source: @uillinoislibrary; February 25, 2021
– Brooke Urbaniak
SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at splat.lili.org
SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-246156-OLS-20). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.