Hello All, I have been a lurker on this list for quite a while. I feel compelled to make a response now...to offer support for Darby and to express my appreciation for the thoughtful comments of Gisele and Darby in response to a legitimately challenging question by Maureen. "Good librarianship" also means being cognizant of the morals, politics, and overall climate of your institution and broader community.
When I read the initial posting, I wondered what my response would be if I were faced with that situation. I'm not at a UC Berkeley, NC State, or UNT. I'm at a community college. Such a purchase--especially with state funds--would come under public scrutiny. Since I am not faced with this scenario, I don't have to make the decision...but I would hope that the decision I ended up making would not be met with accusations from my peers and colleagues of censorship or of being puritanical. Catherine Lee Cape Fear Community College Wilmington, NC
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.