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Down With DVD Dooming Damage

Consumer demand for DVDs is increasing and if your library has not yet felt this trend you soon will. The result is a marked increase in DVD production and variety of content. For example, in non-theatrical children's programming alone, about 280 titles were released on disc last year — up from just 62 in 2000. (DVD Release Report, as reported inThe Hollywood Reporter, October 22, 2003). Further, there is a growing trend toward more intelligently programmed add-on content on DVD releases — rather than just slapping spare footage on the disc additional programming is now often planned from outset of feature production. All of this signals that the DVD is maturing as a medium and it is here to stay.

But, as many libraries have discovered, DVDs are more subject to damage and can have a significantly shorter useful life in circulation than CDs. It makes one wonder if "DVD" stands for Digital Video Disc or Damaged Video Disaster? In fact, DVD damage and premature DVD failure is enough of a problem for some libraries that the issue is getting some attention from a range of sources.

In his September 2003 column inAmerican Libraries, "A DVD Is Not A Frisbee," Walt Crawford talks about DVD damage and there has been much discussion on various discussion lists about possible solutions to the problem. But in the final analysis, there seems to be a growing consensus that patron education about DVD care may be the best way to keep your DVD collection in shape.

So how to keep your DVDs in shape? You need to educate DVD-using patrons about DVD care. To that end we submit some LM&PR resources for your use in alerting patrons to the finer points of DVD care:

1. DVD Care Bookmarks — DVD_bkmk.pdf - 105 KB
2. DVD Care inserts for DVD cases — DVD_insert2up.pdf - 90 KB
3. DVD Care inserts for DVD cases (smaller size) — DVD_insert4up.pdf - 77 KB
4. DVD Care counter sign — DVD_signage.pdf -- 75 KB

More information:

1. A DVD Is Not A Frisbee.
2. From TechTV: How to Remove CD Scratches.
3. Taking Care of your DVDs.
4. Crafts From CDs, Diskettes, and Jewel Cases for kids and grownups.

Thanks to Patricia S. Evans, Director of the Victor Free Library in Victor, New York (http://www.victor.pls-net.org/) for the sharing their DVD Care Tips.