When I entered the media world in the mid 70's, we were fortunate to
have a 16mm lending library cooperative for subscribing K-12 schools
located within our library, so had access to a professional 16mm repair
and refurbishing machine, complete with two experienced operators. While
16mm is a reasonably sturdy format, the myriad of casual users (faculty
in classrooms and students in study rooms) wrecked havoc on our titles.
Improper threading of the projector meant large scratches, ripped
sprocket holes, etc., and attempts to pause for a still-frame usually
produced a nice burn. I venture to guess that, for many academic
libraries that still have 16mm titles on hand, they do not have
sufficient equipment to keep them viable and are probably short on staff
who know how to repair them. What about the availability of replacement
footage for sections so heavily spliced that one or more sequences are
rendered useless? These factors constitute no reason to pursue an
unauthorized, wholesale conversion of a 16mm collection to a newer
format, but they do weigh in on the side of classifying 16mm as an
expiring, if not expired, format for academic libraries. Due diligence
can be applied to finding rights holders (we've done it when needed) for
permission or license to avoid the necessity of keeping a title
transferred to DVD in-house. The quest is not always successful, but is
certainly doable. And this list has provided excellent leads in many of
our quests. If we still had a 16mm collection, I would be concentrating
my efforts on replacing and converting as fast as possible.
Gail
On 9/21/2011 1:45 PM, Jessica Rosner wrote:
The irony is that I would consider 16mm the least likely to have
physical problems format. Yes very old prints can get vinegar
syndrome, warp and shrink but on average they last far, far longer
than VHS, DVD etc and despite rumors to the contrary it is still being
used.
I think we need to be honest and admit that institutions have in fact
illegally transferred tens of thousands of 16mm films to VHS or DVD.
It was just too tempting and inconvenient not to. The attempt to
justify it under 108 ( and trust me Kim I am not picking on you, I
know major universities that have done it wholesale for 20 years or
more) and pretend it has no impact on rights holders and that if those
silly rights holders would only put it on VHS, DVD , Streaming ( that
one has changed of course) they would have spent at least $30 to buy
it ( if however the price was $250 they might just keep the one they
transferred).
There was a fascinating discussion on the google/hathitrust/ Univ. of
Michigan fiasco on "orphan" books that reminded me of some of this.
After admitting they completely messed up and that many of the works
were not orphans at all, Michigan and other academic libraries started
justifying it by saying but no one was getting to see those books
anyway so they were basically doing the rights holders a favor by
making them available even if it was illegal. Trust me rights holders
don't really want to be told what is good for their market , let alone
works many of them made themselves and this is why I get so upset with
some of these discussions.
On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 1:59 PM,<ghand...@library.berkeley.edu> wrote:
OK...I think I stand corrected. But, yipes, there are an awful lot of
"ifs" and "buts" in this affair.
So, to recap: you make a vhs copy from a 16mm print that is physically at
risk and determined to be out of distribution and un-gettable in any
format, and you loan the vhs copy via ILL. OK...108 yeah, I guess.
g
I'd wager that Kim's 16mm-to-vhs copy was made purely as a matter of
convenience...but Kim knows best.
I disagree with Gary's comment about loaning.
The provisions of Section 108 limiting use to within the library applies
to * digital * copies.
108 Section (a) (c),
"or to distribute such copy or phonorecord, under the conditions
specified
by this section, if ‹ "
108 Section (c)
(2) any such copy or phonorecord that is reproduced in
* digital format * is not made available to the public in that format
outside
the premises of the library or archives in lawful possession of such
copy.
Emphasis added
Since Kim asked about loaning VHS copies of 16mm titles, it is my opinion
that Section 108 allows an ILL
--
deg farrelly
Arizona State University
P.O. Box 871006
Tempe, AZ 85287
Phone: 480.965.1403
Email: deg.farre...@asu.edu
The other requirement is that the replacement be used within the library
building (depending on whom you talk to--which lawyer--this stricture may
(MAY)be interpreted as allowing loan for use elsewhere on campus (BE
QUIET, JESSICA)). Loaning the replacement would, I think, be skating and
falling thru very thin ice, however.
gary handman
Hi all,
Our collections contains a small number of VHS tapes we've transferred
>from 16mm films, using Section 108. We received an Interlibrary Loan
request today for one of these 16mm films, but I want to send out the
VHS
copy. I don't immediately see anything in 108 that would prevent us from
ILLing the VHS copy, but though I'd pose this as a question for the
list.
Thanks!
Kim Stanton
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.
Gary Handman
Director
Media Resources Center
Moffitt Library
UC Berkeley
510-643-8566
ghand...@library.berkeley.edu
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC
"I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself."
--Francois Truffaut
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.
--
Gail B. Fedak
Director, Media Resources
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN37132
Phone: 615-898-2899
Fax: 615-898-2530
Email: gfe...@mtsu.edu <mailto:gfe...@mtsu.edu>
Web: www.mtsu.edu/~imr <http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Eimr>
“Education is a progressive study of your own ignorance.” – Will Durant
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.
