CDL: Phasing out our video collection (responses 4-6)

#3

  	Mara Egherman <eghermanm_at_central.edu>
Subject  	RE:  Phasing out our video collection

Karen, I have found that a number of older (90s) VHS movies aren't available on
DVD and that faculty want to keep the VHS. (I send them suggestions of
replacement films for their syllabi if I can find them.) Hoping we can move to
streaming video but meanwhile we are also in that middle phase with both VHS and
DVD movies in our media center. We aren't intentionally buying Blu-Ray, hoping
to skip from DVD to streaming from an online film database. We rent a few movies
a month from Netflix (via US mail). I don't know of any "systematic" way to sort
through except, as you wrote, to see what has been used in recent semesters.
Good luck! --  Mara

_______________________________________

Mara M J Egherman, MA, MLIS   I   Collection Management Librarian   I   Geisler
Library   I   Central College Box 6500   I   812 University   I   Pella IA  
50219   I   (641)628-5221   I   eghermanm_at_central.edu 


#4


Clement Lau <cclau_at_ubalt.edu>
Subject  	RE: Phasing out our video collection (responses 1-2)

It took us a few years to replace our VHS and cassette tapes collection and
finally got rid of them entirely about 2 years ago. We replaced a few of the
titles with DVD or CD format if they were needed for the classes. Otherwise, we
discarded them and used the space for other purposes. As far as I know, we only
purchase AV materials if the request is from the faculty. We do keep a 13”
VHS/TV combo and a cassette player in case someone needs them for class.  

Clement Chu-Sing Lau
Associate Director for
Technical Services and Administration
University of Baltimore
School of Law Library
LC420A, 1415 Maryland Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
U.S.A.


#5

 	Betsy Grant <bgrant_at_sewanee.edu>
Subject  	Re: CDL:  Phasing out our video collection

We are currently in the middle of a project to replace VHS tapes with DVDs.

We started with the Reserve films. Once that was finished, we moved to
documentaries and foreign language films. We replaced the most used by simply
working from a excel list of films. I sorted Z-A by "total checkout" and we
worked though it in that order. We are still working through those. In the
meantime, we've also replaced those films published or distributed by PBS.

In the course of the project, we've discovered that we already had DVDs for many
of the VHS tapes. We've discarded those VHS tapes. We also discovered that we
had streaming videos (through Academic Video Online or VAST) for many titles.

Our decision was not to replace the VHS in DVD if we had the streaming video.

At the beginning of this project, I sent an email to faculty alerting them to
the project. I had several faculty reply that they wanted to continue to use VHS
films, because it was easier to find the "snippet" they needed. So, I notified
each faculty that had films on reserve and asked them about each specific film.
Eventually, I convinced most of them to switch to DVD or to at least try the
streaming services (with the VHS as backup).

Probably in several years when the last VHS player has died, we will go back
through and replace any remaining VHS tapes.

Betsy Grant
duPont Library
University of the South
Sewanee, TN 37383-1000


#6

Beth Jacoby <bjacoby_at_ycp.edu>
Subject  	Re: CDL: Phasing out our video collection

Hi, Karen,
 
We methodically weeded our VHS collection in two phases.  In phase 1 (2009-2010)
we did an inventory of the collection and corrected catalog errors so when it
came time to generate a weeding report from our ILS, it would be as accurate as
possible.  During this phase, we also withdrew any VHS if we had the title on
DVD.  We didn't involve faculty in that process.  We did involve them when we
wanted to withdraw several hundred VHS that had never circulated as well as a
large group of VHS that hadn't circulated in the previous 5 years.   We allowed
faculty to tell us if they wanted us to try to replace any VHS with DVD or
streaming.
 
In phase 2 (2011-2012), we focused on VHS titles that were still being used with
the intention of withdrawing them and not replacing them at all, replacing them
with DVD or streaming, or encouraging faculty to find other content in those
cases in which we couldn't find the title in a newer format.  We also emphasized
that VHS is an obsolete format and, while we still have VHS players on campus
for now, IT is already telling us they won't replace VHS or DVD/VHS machines
once they've broken.
 
Best wishes,
 
Beth
Beth Jacoby
Collection Development Librarian
Schmidt Library
York College of Pennsylvania
441 Country Club Rd.
York, PA  17403-3651