Multimedia Seeds: Management: Special Considerations for Audio and Video Collections

Developing an audio and video collection is very much like creating and maintaining a print collection. However, there are some special considerations that are important as you plan. You need to make some choices. For example, how will you balance the need for materials in many areas with the limited funds available for their purchase?

In addition, libraries have different purposes. While a public library may not spend sixty dollars for a 5-minute children's video, it might be perfect for a teacher trying to address a specific curriculum standard. For example, the video Yo! Yes? is based on a children's book about racial understanding, emotional development, and friendship. The video can serve as a powerful springboard for discussions about these issues.

Explore the Options
As you develop audio and video collections, you’ll find that there are many options. Before investing in materials, be sure you’ve considered all the possibilities.

Quality versus Demand
Audiobooks versus Video Games
Site-based versus Virtual Collections
Fiction versus Nonfiction
Replace versus Expand
Consider All Areas

Quality versus Demand

It would be easy to go out and buy all the “hot” music CDs and movie DVDs; however, that would not address the mission of your library. Why duplicate what’s at the local video store? What informational or educational materials could you provide that others might not be able to provide? It comes down to quality and demand.

Demand selection is providing patrons with what they request and want. Quality selection is based on what patrons should have. The quality issue is easier to deal with in a school than in a public library setting. In school libraries, everything comes back to standards and meeting the educational needs of children. In public libraries, there’s more of an emphasis on personal interests and life-long learning.
To create a balanced collection, compromise is essential. Although Star Wars movies, monster truck books, and romance novels on tape may be your most popular items, the PBS Civil War DVD should not be overlooked. Although it’s a mistake to base collection development on circulation, it’s also a disservice to buy things that won’t be used. Although an Italian Opera DVD might have gotten great reviews, it’s important to determine whether anyone will ever check it out.

When choosing video games or fiction videos consider those materials viewers might not see on television or at the video stores. What areas of the curriculum or general public information materials should be included in a well-rounded collection? Ideas –

Identify purchasing objectives for both popular and standard titles.
Develop standards for judging all titles based on criteria.
Purchase based on favorable reviews
Buy multiple copies sparingly
Know community preferences and past circulation habits
Solicit recommendations from patrons
Be impartial

Audiobooks versus Video Games

There are a growing number of non-print options. From e-books to DVDs, how do you decide what technologies to support? Look at the community. Where are the demands? What equipment is available to play or use the resources? What materials could be accessed through other means? Do you have enough funding to sustain a new collection area? How quickly will the technology evolve? When is it time to stop supporting an older technology such as film or VHS tapes? These are all questions that need to be asked before jumping into a new technology area or eliminating an old one.

Site-based versus Virtual Collections

Many collections now have a combination of site-based and virtual materials. Like interlibrary loan and other programs, look beyond your library for ways to expand the resources available to patrons. Online resources provide audio and video materials that can be saved on hard drives or CD. Others can be streamed live through a computer. Some materials are free and others required a subscription.

Fiction versus Nonfiction

The issues you find in your print collection are similar in those for a non-print collection. How do you balance the need for fiction and nonfiction works? In general, nonfiction includes documentaries, educational materials, informational works, and how-to videos. Schools generally view fiction as either entertainment or linked to the curriculum. For example, Gettysburg could be considered part of the curriculum for a history class, while Monsters Inc would be strictly entertainment. A similar issue arises when allocating funds for audio materials. Do you purchase books-on-tape or music CDs?

A majority of public libraries maintain around 60 percent of their collection as nonfiction. Some public libraries have chosen only to include nonfiction and educational fiction in their collections, so that they aren’t seen as competing with the local video stores. Others see the library as an important source for entertainment for people who can’t afford to rent videos. Your decision should be directly related to the needs and interests of your patrons and community. The same is true of school libraries. With limited budgets, the mission of the library must come first. Although it would be fun to watch Spiderman, educational video must be the priority.

Gettysburg

Replace versus Expand

The tape is broken, the CD is scratched, or the DVD is cracked. Should it be replaced? Sometimes rather than selecting new items, your collection activities revolve around replacing items. At the time the item was purchased, it addressed a particular need in the collection. However before repurchasing the material, it's a good idea to examine the collection again. Does the audio or video have lasting value? Or, was it purchased to meet a popular demand that has fallen off? This often happens with "hot" movies and music CDs that quickly reach a peak. If the title is instructional such as a "how-to" woodworking video or informative such as a social issues documentary, do you have enough depth in the area already? For example, you may have several tapes on exercise and sign language, but only one on learning Japanese. Determine whether there is a newer title available with more up-to-date information. Also, does it make more sense to purchase the replacement in another format? If your copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark videotape is worn out, it may be time to buy the DVD version.

Consider All Areas

It’s unlikely that you’re an expert in every area of audio and video. As a result, it’s important to explore all the areas of your collection and the needs of your patrons.

Genres. Consider a broad range of genres. Just with selecting books, the librarian needs to be aware of personal bias. If you’re drawn to romantic comedies, your patrons might miss out on some quality historical fiction films. A good representation of comedies, westerns, musicals, dramas, and action adventures is important. The same is true of musical genres from jazz and New Age to rap and bluegrass. It’s easy to get caught selecting based on personal preference rather than patron need.

Collections. Consider representation from a broad range of serious and popular filmmakers and composers from past and present. For example, you might include a DVD collection of the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Cecil B. DeMille, or more recent directors. Also consider foreign and independent film titles. The same is true for music and books on tape. People are always looking for series of books and the same is true of non-print. A set of Broadway musical DVDs, the entire Sue Grafton alphabet murder books-on-tape, or greatest speeches of the 20th century online may be a hit.

Subject Areas. Consider materials from across subject areas. Mason-Robinson in her book Developing and Managing Video Collections (1996) advocates following the pattern of the library’s cataloging system as you look for nonfiction materials. Some areas will have more video subjects than others. For example, science and history are two areas where an abundance of video materials can be found to support the rest of the collection. How-to’s in the area of home repair, cooking, crafts, and sports are another good area of exploration. Finally, performance videos on topics such as opera, ballet, concerts, and plays can be found.