h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sometimes it's hard to know which DVDs to buy for the library. I have a limited amount of both funds and display space for them. The kids ones are easy. The YA level ones aren't too difficult. The problem here is ratings. It's the adult ones that give me fits, trying to figure out what will circulate.

Do I go with older, classic titles over the new releases? The younger people have no interest in them. I have some fabulous older films that seldom leave the building and never with anyone under 50. If I stock too many new releases, it looks like I'm trying to cater only to the young crowd.

Documentaries...forget it. Other than home school families, those just sit there and occupy space. Series? I'll wind up misssing one and having to replace the entire series in order to replace it. So I generally don't replace missing discs, which upsets folks wanting to watch the entire thing.

And speaking of replacing long overdue items, how often if too often? If a DVD (or book) is checked out and never returned over and over, then what's the chances of keeping yet another copy? It's throwing money down a rat hole. Remember, every time I replace a title, that's one new title I can't afford to buy.

So, I'm tempted to just go by box office ratings and forget all of the artsy fartsy reviews and educational thises and classic thatses.

Is the bottom line how much something circulates? In that case, you'll have to do what those with a commercial motive do - stock what's hot, throw away what's not. But then why have a library? Those things are available elsewhere.

I'd personally go for a different tack, though I know it wouldn't be popular. Back in the Dark Ages, when I used libraries as a kid, they never kept the stuff you could find in the drugstore. That was what the drugstore was for. They kept stuff you wouldn't easily find elsewhere.

For this reason, I read David Livingstone's account of his journey on the Zambesi. First edition, uncut pages, from 1850. I know, I know, that's a book, and you couldn't possibly give something like that shelf space...but they did, those old-lady librarians. (Today, that's what Gutenberg is for. The book is there, I checked.)

We didn't have DVDs back then (doh), but we had recordings. On vinyl, children. Folk music, classical, jazz. Not the Beatles, because back then, you could buy their latest single for a quarter.

Now, what I would do would be to find stuff I knew people would like if they saw it, and wouldn't find otherweise, and not worry about the bestsellers.

Isn't that the most useless advice you've ever heard of? I know you can't do that. Sorry, no help here.

Why not just stock up from the $3 bins at Rose's?

Yes, unfortunately the bottom line is circulation. We're not a research facility so am under no pressure to keep titles for their often considerable merit even though no one has read them for decades. Nor are we a museum with items occupying space forever.

Public libraries are very different now than they were when we were kids. I don't have to take up my limited shelf space with obscure titles that people seldom request because I can always ILL it from a large library. My mandate is to give the public what they want, not what I think they should have. After all, they're paying for it.

You also need to understand that a lot of the people who check out our materials can't afford to go purchase the books and DVDs. Many of them can't afford a dollar rental. So using the criteria you suggest would be putting popular materials out of their reach.

Like walking a tight rope, by the sound of it. Maintaining a careful balance to avoid the most trashy examples of popular DVDs.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure what kind of approach the Swedish libraries prefer. I can count on them usually having the latest books, but also of them having books that are no longer available in the stores.

Am planning to visit my local library in order to read 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman, just because one of my favourite authors (Patrick Rothfuss) likes it. I've checked online, and they do have it.

If the librarians aren't too busy, I might actually try to find out how they maintain their balance on the tight rope.

Libraries in Michigan have quit charging fines on overdue books but they do charge for overdue DVD's
And newer movies also have rent that you pay to the Library.

It is indeed like walking a tight rope.

Shagbark, some libraries in my area also charge for DVD rentals. I sincerely hope we don't have to go that route because many of my patrons can't afford it. When I was a girl (back in 19 hundred and mind your own business) the library charged to check out the new books. 10 cents per day. It encouraged the borrower to read it quickly and return it. We stopped doing that decades ago.

A lot of people hear the word library and think that we're all alike. That isn't true. And comparing public and academic libraries is like comparing apples and oranges.

Then there is the Library of Michigan owned and operated by the State Government of Michigan. I had a library Card with them for ten years and they have just instituteda new policy. No private checkouts. If you want something from their collection go to a local library and get it through inter-library loan.

And there is the Delta Township District Library.
www.dtdl.org I do not live in that township
(although I do work there). That library issued me a card and
treats me just like the ones who pay taxes there. They have the childrens DVD's seperate from the Main Collection, and also run a store in the basement that sells both books and DVDs.

that hyperlink apparently needs to be longer
http://dtdl.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?user_id=occc&searchdata1=DVD

I suspect that's a larger library than mine. We're rather small. Missouri has several types of public libraries. The state library is encouraging those counties like mine who still have municipal libraries to switch to county or regional systems. That won't happen here, at least not in my lifetime. Our municipal libraries are too old and too used to being independent.

The general assumption that the larger the service area the better the service distresses me. We do have some very large libraries in the state and most of them offer superior services. But it is because they are well-funded and have excellent management, not just because they are large.

Also, the county and regional libraries bring service to area that previously had no library service at all. That isn't the case in my county. We do have communities without a library, but the residents can get non-resident cards at the exsisting libraries.

Back in the 1900's there were Carnegie Libraries in most towns hereabout.
Most of those have been swallowed up into districts or the funding entity put it on the ballot to create tax districts to support them and they became District libraries.

I can see both sides of the issue. District libraries clearly have some advantages. But I don't want one here. My library does things that most libraries don't and can't if they are operating multiple branches where the rules have to be uniform. My size and independence gives me a lot more freedom.

So what happens when you retire. Does a Board of Directors name your replacement?

We have a nine member board of trustees. Before I leave, I'll advertise the job and the board will hire my replacement. Naturally I'll stay until they feel they've found the right person.

You should probably put a deadline on that, or else they may decide not to feel like anyone's right and you'll never get to retire

Amy, what I've decided to do is advertise when I turn 65 and leave whether I have a replacement or not when I turn 66, which is my full retirement age. Surely they can find someone in a year. The problem is that I'm sure they'll want someone they can't really afford. I have a staff member who could take over and would do a fab job, but she doesn't have a degree. Another staff member who does have a degree is unlikely to keep the rest of the staff. I don't want to turn the reigns over to someone who is going to get rid of everyone immediately.

Is there any way you could suggest to the board they consider "equivalent experience" in lieu of a degree?

When the time comes I will certainly suggest it. Another thing I can do is start teaching her how to do my job and suggest she be named the interim director while they hunt someone. Then she'll have the opportunity to show them that she can handle it just fine.