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(If there is a better group for this topic, please let me know.)

My local public libraries rent and lend DVDs. The DVDs get a lot of abuse but
a public library can't really check every return in a timely fashion and try to
blame a patron for damage and make them pay a replacement fee.
Replacement usually means buying a new DVD at full regular price and
the libraries can't always afford to do that. (I think the librarian told me
they average only 10 rentals per DVD versus >>100 rentals per VHS.)

I have read elsewhere that the actual material costs (separate from the
intellectual property, licensing, etc. costs) of producing a DVD are less
than one dollar.

Is there a workable or working model whereby a public library can buy a specific
number of licenses for each movie they want in their collection but be able
to pay a very low (US1 or $2 + S&H + return damaged disk) replacement cost
for damaged disks? They wouldn't need the case or covers or inserts, just
the replacement disks.

Buy 10 new copies (DVD + case + inserts + LICENSES) for some popular movie.
As the disks get damaged, return the disk only to the agent (whoever that
would be) and get a replacement disk only for $1-$2.

I think libraries would buy many more licenses if they knew that the
maintenance costs would be lower than 100% per damaged disk.

I have a few variations and justifications but don't want to reinvent the
wheel if such a model is already working someplace.

I guess it could apply to commercial enterprises (Blockbuster, etc.) except
they might be in a better position to charge the customer a replacement fee
if they can show that the customer is responsible.

I'm sure the movie maker would rather sell a new license and a new complete
DVD set after every 10th (on average) rental ... unless, perhaps, the initial
"perpetual" license for libraries was priced higher to allow for a higher number
of rentals and low-cost replacements. "Perpetual' is only until the next piece
of technology comes along to replace fragile DVDs so it shouldn't be priced
to assume rentals for 100 years; maybe 5 or 10.

Comments? Suggestions? Variations?





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Dee V. Dee wrote:
> (If there is a better group for this topic, please let me know.)
>
> My local public libraries rent and lend DVDs. The DVDs get a lot of abuse but
> a public library can't really check every return in a timely fashion and try to
> blame a patron for damage and make them pay a replacement fee.
> Replacement usually means buying a new DVD at full regular price and
> the libraries can't always afford to do that. (I think the librarian told me
> they average only 10 rentals per DVD versus >>100 rentals per VHS.)
>
> I have read elsewhere that the actual material costs (separate from the
> intellectual property, licensing, etc. costs) of producing a DVD are less
> than one dollar.
>
> Is there a workable or working model whereby a public library can buy a specific
> number of licenses for each movie they want in their collection but be able
> to pay a very low (US1 or $2 + S&H + return damaged disk) replacement cost
> for damaged disks? They wouldn't need the case or covers or inserts, just
> the replacement disks.
>
> Buy 10 new copies (DVD + case + inserts + LICENSES) for some popular movie.
> As the disks get damaged, return the disk only to the agent (whoever that
> would be) and get a replacement disk only for $1-$2.
>
> I think libraries would buy many more licenses if they knew that the
> maintenance costs would be lower than 100% per damaged disk.
>
> I have a few variations and justifications but don't want to reinvent the
> wheel if such a model is already working someplace.
>
> I guess it could apply to commercial enterprises (Blockbuster, etc.) except
> they might be in a better position to charge the customer a replacement fee
> if they can show that the customer is responsible.
>
> I'm sure the movie maker would rather sell a new license and a new complete
> DVD set after every 10th (on average) rental ... unless, perhaps, the initial
> "perpetual" license for libraries was priced higher to allow for a higher number
> of rentals and low-cost replacements. "Perpetual' is only until the next piece
> of technology comes along to replace fragile DVDs so it shouldn't be priced
> to assume rentals for 100 years; maybe 5 or 10.
>
> Comments? Suggestions? Variations?
>
>
>
>
>
Why would the studio want to do this? If libraries did not buy DVDs for
their customers to check out then the customer would either have to rent
from a retail store or buy their own copy.

dick

"Dee V. Dee" <> wrote in message
news: du...
> (If there is a better group for this topic, please let me know.)
>
> My local public libraries rent and lend DVDs. The DVDs get a lot of abuse
but
> a public library can't really check every return in a timely fashion and
try to
> blame a patron for damage and make them pay a replacement fee.

Heres the fix right in your own post....These arent books, this is media
that is much easier to damage, so care DOES need to be taken during the
return process so the responsible parties do end up paying to replace the
media. This is apolicy that SHOULD have been in effect years ago with
records, tapes, etc...If a library started that policy it would be a matter
of days and not one disk would ever get damaged again...well there would
still be a few, but the sheep would not act like morons anymore and treat
teh rentals with respect.

In ref:

Dee V. Dee <> wrote:

> (If there is a better group for this topic, please let me
> know.)
>
> My local public libraries rent and lend DVDs. The DVDs get a
> lot of abuse but a public library can't really check every
> return in a timely fashion and try to blame a patron for
> damage and make them pay a replacement fee.
> Replacement usually means buying a new DVD at full regular
> price and
> the libraries can't always afford to do that. (I think the
> librarian told me they average only 10 rentals per DVD versus
> >>100 rentals per VHS.)
>
> I have read elsewhere that the actual material costs
> (separate from the intellectual property, licensing, etc.
> costs) of producing a DVD are less
> than one dollar.
>
> Is there a workable or working model whereby a public library
> can buy a specific number of licenses for each movie they
> want in their collection but be able
> to pay a very low (US1 or $2 + S&H + return damaged disk)
> replacement cost
> for damaged disks? They wouldn't need the case or covers or
> inserts, just
> the replacement disks.
>
> Buy 10 new copies (DVD + case + inserts + LICENSES) for some
> popular movie.
> As the disks get damaged, return the disk only to the agent
> (whoever that
> would be) and get a replacement disk only for $1-$2.
>
> I think libraries would buy many more licenses if they knew
> that the maintenance costs would be lower than 100% per
> damaged disk.
>
> I have a few variations and justifications but don't want to
> reinvent the
> wheel if such a model is already working someplace.
>
> I guess it could apply to commercial enterprises
> (Blockbuster, etc.) except they might be in a better position
> to charge the customer a replacement fee
> if they can show that the customer is responsible.
>
> I'm sure the movie maker would rather sell a new license and
> a new complete
> DVD set after every 10th (on average) rental ... unless,
> perhaps, the initial "perpetual" license for libraries was
> priced higher to allow for a higher number of rentals and
> low-cost replacements. "Perpetual' is only until the next
> piece of technology comes along to replace fragile DVDs so it
> shouldn't be priced
> to assume rentals for 100 years; maybe 5 or 10.
>
> Comments? Suggestions? Variations?

I volunteer, one day per week, to "repair" patron damaged DVDs &
CDs, at our community's privately owned library, which has a
collection in excess of 4,000 discs available to almost 10,000
residents.

First, damage is usually the peanut butter & jelly type, easily
fixed by washing. Next come the scratches - those following the
path of the recorded track being the real culprits. These are
repaired by buffing with a liquid abrasive using one of the
single-spindle devices found here http://www.jfjdiscrepair.com/
(the price was $499 when we purchased, somewhat more than a year
ago). Seriously scratched discs get more serious abrasion from
either a heavy duty liquid or sandpaper or both. We have yet to
have a patron-damaged disc that was unrepairable.

The biggest problem we have had with permanent damage is hub
grip design. Several, about 1/2 dozen, discs have been broken
on first use because the patron could not get the disc out of
the package. In every case these have been returned for
replacement at the point of purchase. Consequently, we
purchased thousands of replacement packages, which have a slip
in (slotted) design which places no hub pressure, as there is no
hub clip. Sadly, this design increases the peanut butter &
jelly syndrome, while saving the disc from stress fractures.

We do keep records as to frequency of damage by patron, but have
never made a claim against one (having had none lost). It is
obvious that some patrons have more difficulty handling the
media that do others!!

We also have a VHS collection of a few thousand tapes and have,
for many years, had a "repair" operation which has somewhat
lengthened the life of the tapes, but many have been scrapped or
sold off in the deep-discount store attached to the library.

BJ