Blu-ray Discs sliding into public libraries -- has yours made the move?

[scrumptious]

http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/03/19...yours-made-th/

This may be a good alternative to netflix.

[Tempest]

Yeah 2 of our libraries carries Blu Ray Movies and one has PS3 Games.. all free of charge to check out anytime just liike all their DVD's.. all free check out.

[Blu-ray Fanatic]

This is what makes these forums standout so much! 99% good news. Thanks for the info as I will check out my local libraries.

[BluRay2344]

yup i work at a library and we have them coming in!

[Captainhawk1]

That is NOT good news.

I've never been a fan of libraries having VHS, DVD's or music avaialble to borrow. These cost a lot of money and add nothing to the overall mission of the library.

The library shouldn't be there to act as a video store subsidized by the tax payers.

Seriously, who do you think pays for this?

[scrumptious]

Originally Posted by Captainhawk1

That is NOT good news.

I've never been a fan of libraries having VHS, DVD's or music avaialble to borrow. These cost a lot of money and add nothing to the overall mission of the library.

The library shouldn't be there to act as a video store subsidized by the tax payers.

Seriously, who do you think pays for this?

I think most libraries do surveys, so if yours is one that does surveys, you are obviously in the minority. As for who pays, education and enrichment is good for society and I think for most libraries the voters get to decide a lot of the funding.

The mission of the library is whatever we decide it to be, whatever suits our purposes, whims or fancy. It's a library, not a religion.

Some books come with music CDs and even video DVDs. Whether the art is in book form, graphic novel form or motion picture form, etc., libraries should have them. What's the difference between graphic novels, including literary classics like The Watchmen, and motion pictures? Nothing, except in one, the pictures are moving.

[Captainhawk1]

Originally Posted by scrumptious

I think most libraries do surveys, so if yours is one that does surveys, you are obviously in the minority. As for who pays, education and enrichment is good for society and I think for most libraries the voters get to decide a lot of the funding.

The mission of the library is whatever we decide it to be, whatever suits our purposes, whims or fancy. It's a library, not a religion.

Some books come with music CDs and even video DVDs. Whether the art is in book form, graphic novel form or motion picture form, etc., libraries should have them. What's the difference between graphic novels, including literary classics like The Watchmen, and motion pictures? Nothing, except in one, the pictures are moving.

That is such a classic BS excuse for wasting taxpayer money.

Why not just carry porn?

What it comes down to is subsidizing entertainment for the underprivileged, i.e., the ghetto and I get to pay for it.

I have never seen any ballot that included any place for me to vote on what my many local libraries stock.

You have to draw a line. Graphic novels are books, the last time I checked you can't rent books.

[scrumptious]

Originally Posted by Captainhawk1

What it comes down to is subsidizing entertainment for the underprivileged, i.e., the ghetto and I get to pay for it.

Library funding AFAIK happens by locality, i.e. county or city, so if you are subsidizing the underprivileged, you probably live in a neighborhood with underprivileged people. So if you live in the Hamptons, your taxes should only go to libraries in or near the Hamptons. I never heard of a state that does state-wide funding of local libraries.

I have never seen any ballot that included any place for me to vote on what my many local libraries stock.

Never said there was one. I said most libraries do surveys which ask for feedback from patrons. Even when it's not survey time, most libraries will have a comment form. The ballots I was talking about are for local taxes. If you haven't seen them, you probably don't vote in every local election.

You have to draw a line. Graphic novels are books, the last time I checked you can't rent books.

But what makes graphic novels (these are comic books in case you didn't know) library worthy and motion pictures not? Both have pictures; one has moving pictures.

And actually you can rent books, both the digital kind and paper kind

http://www.bookswim.com

Some libraries have video games for borrowing btw. And video games can be as much art and as enriching as other media. Sometimes they hire authors who have written books to write the story for the game (same thing happens with movies ... author Neil Gaiman was hired to sculpt the story of Mirrormask)

It's crazy to stock books about a movie and not stock the movie, or to stock novels that tell more 24 or Star Trek stories but not stock the motion picture material.

Maybe you could tell me why motion pictures contradict the "mission of the library" and why it is important for every library in every community to have this exact same mission?

And what about educational videos for children?

Maybe you are just against libraries altogether ... it seems you are objecting not to the inclusion of the material, but to it being taxpayer funded. The whole damn library is taxpayer funded!

[PH3AR]

Well...

I don't even know where my library is!

...but if i find out mine is carrying blus im gonna find out where it is!

[Tempest]

We have about 20 libraries... between them all you can get just about any DVD you ever want to watch.. who needs netflix.. well netflix is easier..

[X-Ninja]

Damn. Bluray movies and ps3 games at a library huh?

...our library has a selection of about 50 DVDs - all of which are insanely old.
I don't read anything, and if i ever do, then i'll buy the book. But yeah, i do know where our library is.

No BDs or games though. >.>

[JasonS]

Our library is awesome about DVD's...they probably have at least 500 including new releases. I found Transporter 3 there a week after it was released! They do have a couple 360 and PS2 games but probably less than 6 combined and no Blu-ray.

[Captainhawk1]

Originally Posted by scrumptious

Library funding AFAIK happens by locality, i.e. county or city, so if you are subsidizing the underprivileged, you probably live in a neighborhood with underprivileged people.

The gated community I live in and the 3,000 sq. foot house I own would tend to dispute that. Libraries are done by county, not by neighborhood so in Clark County, NV (which is greater Las Vegas if you don't have a map handy) my tax money goes to support the libaries in my neighborhood and the rest of the county as well. So my nice area gets these videos and the ghettos have them too and for some reason, the ghetto libraries (which I have frequented in the past as the law office I work in is over on the east side of town) have a much bigger selection of movies and popular CD's. I wonder why that is.

Nobody should have them. Take personal responsibility for your own luxuries and entertainment. The fact is that NV and all of her counties are in a severe budget crisis and they are trying to cut 33% in education (primary and secondary). Maybe some of those cuts should be made by eliminating DVD's from the Public Library System, eh?

(NOTE: I admit a bit of self-interest here. My wife is a first grade teacher in the District and budget cuts hurt her and other teachers all the way around but I still don't think anyone would think that we should cut education in order to save DVD's at the library, would they?)

So if you live in the Hamptons, your taxes should only go to libraries in or near the Hamptons. I never heard of a state that does state-wide funding of local libraries.

All states subsidize their libraries at least in part just like all states subsidize their individual school districts. Regardless of that, as I said, most of the funding is through the County (meaning my flippin' property taxes).

And for the record, I'm originally a New Yorker and it's the same in NYS as it is in NV the only difference being that you have State Income Taxes (among others) in NYS that you don't have here.

Never said there was one. I said most libraries do surveys which ask for feedback from patrons. Even when it's not survey time, most libraries will have a comment form. The ballots I was talking about are for local taxes. If you haven't seen them, you probably don't vote in every local election.

Never seen a comment card and I do vote in every election. Library funding is decided on by the County Legislature (for the most part) and what the money is spent on is primarily decided by bureaucrats. Never has there been a proposition in NV asking voters to vote on what material should be in the library.

But what makes graphic novels (these are comic books in case you didn't know) library worthy and motion pictures not? Both have pictures; one has moving pictures.

Really??? Graphic novels are comic books???

What next? Pigs in a blanket have nothing to do with pigs or blankets?

I'll ask it again:

WHY NOT PORN, THEN???

And actually you can rent books, both the digital kind and paper kind

http://www.bookswim.com

You're kidding right? I'll be sure to visit my local Blockbuster book rental store later tonight.

Are you seriously trying to compare book rental to movie rental?

Some libraries have video games for borrowing btw.

That's even worse.

And video games can be as much art and as enriching as other media.

So can porn, so why not have porn in libraries too. One man's art, y'know...

Why is it in the purview of the library to endorse art, period? That's not what a library is for, despite how you want to mangle the definition and the English language in general. A library is not a nebulous concept.

It's crazy to stock books about a movie and not stock the movie, or to stock novels that tell more 24 or Star Trek stories but not stock the motion picture material.

There are plenty of books about porn as well, so by your logic, they should carry porn, too.

(NOTE: If you're really a Star Trek fan you should support the franchise by buying the novels, not taking them out of the library, anyway. )

Maybe you could tell me why motion pictures contradict the "mission of the library" and why it is important for every library in every community to have this exact same mission?

Origin:
1300–50; ME libraire < MF librairie < ML librāria, n. use of fem. of L librārius (adj.) of books, equiv. to lib(e)r book + -ārius -ary

And what about educational videos for children?

Nope. I'll take care of my own kids and their videos, it's not the government or the library's job.

Maybe you are just against libraries altogether ... it seems you are objecting not to the inclusion of the material, but to it being taxpayer funded. The whole damn library is taxpayer funded!

No, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't put words in my mouth, there, tiger. The only way to include said material is through taxpayer funding. I've made it very clear that I'm against taxpayer funding for VHS, DVD and now Blu Ray (as well as CD's.) There are things worth funding in the public library and there are things that are not. It's not my responsibility to pay for anybody's movie night at Blockbuster.

And someday, when you actually have to pay taxes other consumption taxes, and you'll understand my aversion.

I'm in favor of funding for libraries to fund what it should fund: books (or I'll even go so far as to say print media to include your precious graphic novels, comic books, newspapers, magazines, the local phone book, brochures from a a visitor's center, a lobster bib from Joe's Crab Shack, condom wrappers found in a men's rooms, a matchbook with a hotel name on it, a cocktail napkin with a bar name on it... whatever).

Hell, I'm even in favor of computers with Internet Access in libraries.

Despite what you think, there is more value in the printed word than in any electronic media (except for maybe unabridged audio books... those I can deal with.)

Regardless of your attempt to paint me as a fascist, the fact remains that it really doesn't matter what I think, the libraries are going to continue to serve as Blockbusters for the ghetto (and everywhere else).

And instead of trying to justify it, it should bother you too. But it doesn't because like most of the current generation you think you're entitled to the government sponsoring everything including your night a Blockbuster.

It sucks, but I accept it.

No big deal... good debate.

[scrumptious]

So are you against government subsidizing of museums as well? Would simply renaming libraries work for you? If not, then the dictionary cite is meaningless And univerisities often have "film libraries."

Video can be as enriching and educational as books and you admitted it ... many schools use video as part of their instruction. O and what about SCHOOL libraries? Many school libraries have video ... are you against that too? When I was in school, we watched many videos (including fiction) in a variety of classes, including English class.

Are you for library censorship? Selection should not discriminate based on point of view or form of medium. As for porn, most porn titles are not enriching in any way. The line between porn and mainstream is blurry since Caligula for example has unsimulated sex scenes. If you want to exclude all "porn" you have to also exclude those trash romance novels that include explicit sex scenes .... so your bringing up porn doesn't help your argument since it works against books just as much as video. Some women prefer the written pornography to visual pornography.

Are you against audio CD books? I think not stocking them when one has the resources may be against the law since blind people are a protected class.

Libraries can be configured as society pleases to suit society's needs. If a particular configuration doesn't match the way the word library was originally used, then that's fine ... rename it, keeping the configuration the same for tradition's sake or word fidelity's sake is not important.

Democracy can only function when the populace is educated and recreating. An uneducated citizenry or unhappy population can cause mob rule or increased social problems. That's why libraries and museums are critical. It's also why we have public education and even those who are childless have a duty to support it. Speaking of recreation, you seem to be against libraries stocking video since you see video as primarily recreation ... well then are you against public parks?

Nice debate

[Ex Accountant]

To answer your question about why libraries don't carry porn, well, they do carry it...or at least they did. Madonna Sex book, anyone? Oh wait, that was art. My apologies. The reason they don't carry porn is because the prudes have an upper hand in our society.

[Ex Accountant]

Originally Posted by scrumptious

As for porn, most porn titles are not enriching in any way.

Have to disagree with you on that one, Tex.

[MAPdead]

I am almost positive mine doesn't have blus most people from here don't even know what a Blu Ray is lol.

[doctorsteve]

Funny!!! I was at the NYC public library and checked the DVD/CD area in the kid's section just to see if they had Blu's ( I saw none, and don't know if there were any in the grown-up's section)

[krazeyeyez]

my town was the first somehow lol

it was a news article on this site way back around the time i signed up, our downtown library actually has a decent selection, which is crazy because we are an car town and highly depressed atm.

edit: as to your arguments above, sort of agree with both, but i think the reason they get things like this, is 1.) there are artistic, educational, etc... videos and those are as worthy to be available as any book. and 2.) they get the popcorn hollywood flicks to help draw in the younger crowd that is fast on its way to making the movie IDIOCRACY a reality. Same reason when research is assigned in schools now many teachers actually require at least some sources to be from the library and not just random internet sites. The libraries are not as frequented by the younger generation today unfortunately so when j6p's kid heads up there to get twilight the hope is he might just grab a few books while he is at it or at least i would think so, even if i am grabbing a flick from the library i always grab a few books as well

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by Captainhawk1

The gated community I live in and the 3,000 sq. foot house I own would tend to dispute that.

Looks like nothing that happens in a "ghetto library" is interfering with your lifestyle.