Did you know there is an extensive DVD collection on the second floor of the High Library? It is located around the corner from the entrance near the fireplace, and it is arranged alphabetically by movie title. The DVDs range from documentaries to foreign movies with comedies, romance and older movies in-between. But do students know the collection even exists?
Some of the movies available for students to borrow are “Titanic,” “Forrest Gump,” “ET,” and “Clueless.” Just a couple of the more current DVDs on their shelf are “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and “Twilight: New Moon.” They offer documentaries as well as film versions of some of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays such as Othello and Macbeth. There are movies about different countries such as “Kabul.” They have television series including “True Blood” and they have movie series, “The Chronicles of Narnia” being an example.
Students are able to borrow movies to watch on their own wherever they please. Students can even watch the DVDs in the library, as there are several rooms with televisions that make it possible to view them there.
Megan Goss, a sophomore and frequent library user, admits she has never used the DVD service. “I haven’t had the opportunity to loan out a DVD yet. I hope to soon, though, because they seem like they have a really good selection,” Goss said.
Videos and DVDs, limited to three per person, have a loan period of one week. Overdue fines are 15 cents per item per day overdue. The library issues a six-day grace period for all items. After the six-day grace period, the item will be charged. This allows the borrower a period of six days in which to return the library item free of overdue fines. Once the grace period has expired, overdue fines will be charged beginning from the original due date.
Sophomore Casey Heinbaugh has loaned a DVD for class as well as for fun. “I was required to loan a movie for a class. However, I have also loaned ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ to watch with my friends,” Heinbaugh said.
Some frequently asked questions by students about the library’s DVDs are whether or not you can copy short clips from DVDs for class use without it being a copyright issue. Up to 10 percent or three minutes, whichever is less, in the aggregate of a copyrighted motion media work may be reproduced or otherwise incorporated as part of a multimedia project. “Knowing that you can get movie clips without [infringing on copyrights] is really helpful, because I’ve made projects where I needed movie clips, and I was not comfortable taking them from YouTube,” Heinbaugh said. Another question asked is if the library can reserve a Netflix DVD. The answer to that question is no. Items belonging to other institutions, be they public, private or institutional cannot be placed on course reserves. This includes items received through Interlibrary Loan.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that obtains materials from other libraries statewide, nationally and internationally. Videos and DVDs are eligible for ILL. The average length of time needed to receive materials via ILL is five to seven days. It’s better to plan ahead to get the materials in time to actually read or view them.
“Hopefully, before the end of the semester, I will get the opportunity to loan a DVD whether it is for class or just for my girlfriends and I to watch,” Goss said.
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 1 a.m., Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 1 a.m.
