The Fort St. James Public Library is in the process of replacing its collection of films and television shows on VHS with DVD copies, building upthis popular and fast-growing section of the library.
“When I arrived here three years ago we had no DVDs,” said Head Librarian Wayne Briscoe. “The decision hadn’t yet been made to go with them.” What he found himself with were videocassettes that almost no one was checking out, so he decided to begin not only replacing VHS titles with their DVD version, but also expanding the selection in both the children and adult sections.
“I’m trying to bring in the full sets of popular movie series, like Jurassic Park and Aliens,” says Briscoe. He’s also building up sets of films by famous directors, and bringing in the DVDs for popular television series, such as Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and The Walking Dead. “Sons of Anarchy has been one of our most popular series, and we have every episode available.”
The children’s section is seeing the gradual acquisition of many classic Disney films, as well as other titles designed to appeal to younger viewers. When asked if children are able to take out movies in the adult section, Briscoe nods.
“We don’t censor what people read or watch,” he said. “If children are here with a parent then we assume they can check out what they want; otherwise it’s up to parents to decide if their children can watch something.”
If people have particular films or TV series they’d like the library to bring in, Briscoe says they’re open to suggestions. “We’ve had three people come in and ask for [TV series] Penny Dreadful, for example,” he noted. “Adult fiction is still our most popular area, but DVDs are growing fast. Some people come in just for them. We just got some new DVDs in, and they’re already gone. Some people seem to know when we get new ones.”
Something else new and noteworthy at the library is a section devoted to magazines aimed at parents and children. Briscoe admits that it can take a long time for the subscriptions to start coming in, but aims to increase the number of titles available. One new title is The Green Parent, the UK’s leading green lifestyle and natural parenting magazine, as well as Yum Food and Fun for Kids, for kids who love to cook and the parents who cook for them. Each issue has recipes for busy parents, as well as great food ideas for families to cook together.
Barbara Roden