Bye Bye Bye

(Oh, look!  I did another boyband reference!)

...to VHS.  That's right, folks.  They're leaving the Uni High Library.

After supervisor Amy emailed staff a couple of times asking them to come save their favorite VHS's, no one replied...no one responded...no one acted.  So, they're going, weeded out of the collection.  We might have typewriters, we might be able to get you a LaserDisc, but we won't have any VHS readily available for the Uni masses anymore.

I do love a good VHS.  To be honest, though, the collection wasn't great.

If there had been some unrequited gems on the shelves, like Hackers to teach computer literacy history or Toy Soldiers to help students learn how to survive a hostile high school takeover by Colombian drug lords, then I would be a bit more disappointed that the teachers didn't act.  This VHS "technology" is just too old school to be cool at this school.  Off to the archives they go.  Alas, I guess it's just another sign o' the times.

(Oh!  And ending with a Prince reference.  Nice one, McFarlane.  Nice one.)

The Lost Art of Typing

We have typewriters here.

We.  Have.  Typewriters.  HERE!

I think it should be a requirement for all students to take keyboarding.  I also think they should have to take it on a typewriter, because gosh darnit, TYPEWRITERS RULE.  I wish I had one at home.  One student came in today to use one/mess around with one.  He said his mom wrote her thesis on a PC, but his dad wrote his thesis on a typewriter. 

I used to love watching my mom and dad type.  My mom was a no-sight kinda gal.  My dad was a hunter and pecker.  It didn't matter, because I could watch them for hours.  I loved listening to the clackety-clack.  My dad used to school me on how to line up the margins, when to press ENTER, how to thread the tape, and the other fine minutia of the lost art of typewriting.  My mom, well, I just used to hand her my papers to type, because she could type super fast (and edit along the way).

There's something so calming, surreal, therapeutic, and peaceful about a typewriter...even though they're loud.  They represent great writing and great writers.  Can you imagine Papa Hemingway behind a PC!?!  No, I didn't think so.

My new goal: find a typewriter--bring it home--USE IT.   (I guess that's THREE goals, but whatever, you get my point.)  I want my kids to know what a typewriter is.  I want their fingers to be able to glide across the keys, and I want their ears to HEAR their progress, as well as their eyes SEEING it.  I want this to be. 

So, this post, although not entirely focused on Library Land, gets back to the point that libraries should buck the trend of only attaining the latest technologies and help up keep and preserve the greatest technologies, too.  We want to give credit to old and new technologies alike, uphold them, savor them, and appreciate them BOTH--old and new--for what they have to offer.  That's what I want MY Library Land to do anyway.

 

Need Laser Disc?

Yeah, we got that...Or, at least we got access to that.

That's right.  Yet ANOTHER perk of being part of the second largest library in the country (second only to those Hah-vud Bunnies): We have access to glorious laser discs.

(And, it's the CRITERION COLLECTION, y'all!!!!)

A student group is doing a project on 2001: A Space Odyssey.  They are reading the book by Arthur C. Clarke, and they want to view Kubrick's movie as well.  The student in charge of getting the movie accidentally requested the LASER DISC instead of the DVD.  Well, that meant I got to do a little joyous happy dance this morning when I got in.

I instantly had flashbacks to watching films on laser disc at my friend's house when I was in high school...and having to wait while her dad flipped the disc over to the other side.  Her dad is somewhat of an amateur movie nut, and he also belonged to the Columbia VHS/Record/CD club.  She would always have the latest and greatest movies at her house before anyone else.  (And, her CD collection was outta this world thanks to those Buy 7, Get One for a Penny deals). 

Anyway...I digress.  The point is: Libraries are awesome.  We are curators of artifacts both timely and historical.  I know not many people use VHS or laser disc anymore, but it's cool to think if one really  needs either of these items they can turn to their library for help in gaining access to them.  This is why I fear libraries becoming totally virtual.  Until it can be proven everyone is out of their VCR's or laser disc players or cassette players, maybe, juuuuuuuuuuust maybe, libraries should still be responsible for helping out the members of their community who still want access to these seemingly outdated technologies.