Yes, we went from U-matic, to VHS, to DVD, to online with this series. While there are many feature film and other theatrical versions, this is often still chosen. It does follow the play, without changes to the script. The BBC does have great casts and production values, often better than some of the alternative versions. One of our acting faculty would show a screen from BBC RSC and then an American or Canadian production to show the difference in acting style. We try to add new feature film adaptations and theatrical productions of Shakespeare and other primary plays and literary adaptations. Faculty and students make selections based upon their research needs! Sometimes they view several productions of the same scene or play.
We did try switching out plays within our Ambrose Online for a few years based on campus productions and study. The process was cumbersome for our acquisition staff, but I hear improvements have been made to the interface. We also had to modify our catalog holdings. When funding became available, we licensed the whole series. Nell Chenault VCU Libraries On Wed, Jun 19, 2013 at 2:59 PM, Randal Baier <rba...@emich.edu> wrote: > The author takes no responsibility for the offense that some may take to > his hubris, but he does apologize beforehand for his flippant ways. > > Well, hello good people. > > I suppose the BBC Shakespeare 1978-1985 could be considered ambrosia for > humanists, but I'm curious how this set is incorporated into your overall > accumulation of videos of Shakespeare plays. Is the BBC *Hamlet* "THE > ONE" that most of your faculty members turn to in their classes, or do you, > as many of us do, have a veritable Rijsttafel of video smackerels for their > delight? We've got a bunch too -- Olivier, Gielgud, Brannagh, Gibson, > Hawke, et al. -- and I would certainly go for a streaming copy of this > play, offered by Ambrose now. > > But are these Shakepeares out of date in the contemporary classroom? -- > there, I said it! i.e. Or to reverse engineer Renee Zellweger in *Jerry > Maguire*, "Did they have you at BBC?" What are the approaches that we > take with this classic set in our hoppers now? > > I might add, with this possibly-mostly-VHS classic set in our hoppers. > Perhaps I am lazy, but I haven't updated *Coriolanus* and *Richard II*into > DVDs. On the other hand, given the way streaming works, I could cherry > pick particular productions on yearly licenses if I knew what was being > taught in the coming semesters. It sure was easier in VHS days to have a > box set of 37 videos and just have them there if anyone wanted to take the > plunge. As we all know, students go running out of the classroom to watch > Gielgud video cassettes on the weekends. > > Let a thousand *Cymbelines* bloom!** > > Randal > > ============== > Randal Baier > > Eastern Michigan University > Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 > (734) 487-2520 > rba...@emich.edu > > tweets @rbaier – skypes @ randalbaier > > "Don't laugh, this is a foreign movie!" > > ** [Now, don't get me wrong about *Cymbeline*. Probably my first live > Shakespeare. In 19xx I saw this at American University -- it had a trippy > spinning spiral as a dream scene a la Rod Serling. Also once at Stratford > in post-modern WWI costuming with the occasional Roman helmet -- marvelous > production. Well, the game is up, I visually remember the techie stuff and > find the memorable lines on Google now. Roll tape.] > > 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. > >
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.
