Anonymous Patron writes “Is This Common Now? The Towson Times – Towson,MD, reports Baltimore County Public Library plans to phase out its videos and replace them with DVDs.
“Video has all but ceased to exist,” James Cooke, spokesman for BCPL’s Collection Development Department said, noting consumers spent a record $21.2 billion in 2004 renting and buying DVDs, while spending only $3.2 billion on VHS/video.”
Unfortunate
This is really unfortunate as VHS tape lasts about three times longer than a DVD, at least at my library.
If the manufacturing costs were compared the DVD is significantly less expensive to mechanically produce (rights not being considered) than the VHS, but it is more fragile.
It is not unlike a floppy disk vs CD – both have their advantages and disadvantages, but I’ve never broken or scratched a floppy.
Oh well, the partons want DVD so I order DVD except when VHS is the only format available.
Baker and Taylor
We get our materials from Baker and Taylor and they have announced that they will stop carrying VHS and music cassettes by December 2005. So it could be that rather than the Library itself decided not ot buy VHS.
Re:Baker and Taylor
I work in the video department in a bookstore, and the fact is studios aren’t releasing very much on vhs anymore. When we actually *do* get new vhs in it seems to be children’s stuff. We get some complaints from people who haven’t switched over to dvd yet, but there’s really nothing we can do about it.
Take care of DVD/VHS
DVD is certainly more popular than VHS. But the durability depends on the care and treatment. DVD or VHS is not going to last long if it is not taken care of.