In my brief tenure as a media librarian I also saw the damage done to 16 mm by routine play, the need for trained and patient repair, and (after I left) the decision to get rid of the repair machine because it took up space that could be used for DVD storage. There was also a significant odor of vinegar in the 16mm storage room (I have no idea where the films are stored now). I should add that that library had given away tons of film to be junked for the minerals, including a collection of Soviet films that apparently were of insufficient interest to justify the storage room. I understand that Jessica would rather burn all copies of a film rather than allow someone to see it without paying somebody for the privilege, but does she realize how many people share that view?
I keep thinking of Henri Langlois… Judy Shoaf From: videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu [mailto:videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Gail Fedak Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 4:09 PM To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu Subject: Re: [Videolib] ILL of Section 108 copies 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><mailto: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<mailto: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<mailto: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, TN 37132 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.
