| ▲ | WCSTombs 4 hours ago |
| Public libraries can also be a great source for DVDs and Blu-Rays! |
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| ▲ | rk-spot 3 hours ago | parent | next [-] |
| Yes to this! I've ditched all streaming services and turned my local library into my go-to media stop. I've found that intentionally going there, checking a movie out, and setting it up at my home has made me more engaged with it than ever before. It's not a random movie that an algorithm recommended to me; it's the movie I chose. Thus, I give it more of my attention. And it's free! With no ads! Just how I like it. |
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| ▲ | satvikpendem 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Also add Libby, Hoopla, Overdrive, for books and other media, which are also free from the library. |
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| ▲ | TheDom 3 hours ago | parent [-] | | I recently discovered Kanopy and was surprised by the amount of A-tier movies you can stream there for free with a library membership (SFPL in my case)! |
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| ▲ | ksherlock 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Browsing through the library DVD shelves is somewhat reminiscent of browsing through a 80s/90s mom & pop type video rental place [1]. I think it's better for randomly finding something interesting than the algorithm (tm). [1] But without the room in the back with the ADULTS ONLY sign. Your library my vary. |
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| ▲ | binsquare 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| They also have video games now |
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| ▲ | BeetleB 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | Libraries are the single reason I got back into video games after a multi-decade hiatus. I played very few games from 2002 to 2017. Didn't want to keep buying new computers, and did not want to bother with consoles (graphics was better on PC than a non-HD TV). In 2010 I bought a PS3, but only to watch Blu-Ray, Netflix and stream from my PC to TV. Did not play games on it. Then in 2016/2017, on a whim, I decided to check out a game from the library. I Googled some good games, and picked Telltale's The Living Dead. Oh wow. One of the best games I've ever played. For the next 2 months I kept checking out games and playing them. Then for some reason I stopped. I started again in 2022 and haven't looked back. Seriously cut down my TV watching so I can play the games. I don't use the library any more - I just buy the games. | |
| ▲ | fortyseven 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | Just recently beat Super Mario Wonder thanks to my local library lending Switch titles. | | |
| ▲ | bombcar 2 hours ago | parent [-] | | They also often have a huge backlog of older titles and consoles, I'm going to check out a Wii soon. |
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| ▲ | sergiotapia 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Libraries are one the most beloved things america really got right. Such a great value and use of tax money. |
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| ▲ | rahimnathwani 3 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | In San Francisco, the annual library budget is ~$200,000,000. That's about $10/month for each San Francisco resident (including babies, elderly people etc.). | | | |
| ▲ | apparent 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] | | Some of the services end up being very expensive, like ebook lending. Some publishers basically charge libraries per loan ($X for an ebook that lasts Y loans), so while it is nice for residents it's not clear that it's a good value, or that it's a good use of tax money. I once heard from a knowledgeable source that most of library lending is bodice rippers. These are available from Amazon/etc. pretty cheaply, which undercuts the value argument. And of course, there's practically no social value of providing the public with free bodice rippers... I'd be interested to know more about the economics of lending DVDs and Blu-rays. Hopefully libraries get a better deal on these. | | |
| ▲ | triceratops 3 hours ago | parent [-] | | > And of course, there's practically no social value of providing the public with free bodice rippers... Why not? > Some of the services end up being very expensive, like ebook lending We need something like a first-sale doctrine for electronic media. Blockchains would be ideal for tracking ownership. | | |
| ▲ | apparent 2 hours ago | parent [-] | | If most of lending were made up of educational texts, there would be a social value. Some people describe bodice rippers as porn for women, and people get addicted to them in the same way they get addicted to porn. Would a library ever lend porn out? I'm guessing no, because of the lack of social value. To the extent that bodice rippers are like porn, the same rationale would apply. |
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| ▲ | dylan604 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | If everyone used the library as much as people say they are great, their shelves would be empty. Libraries have to be some of the most underutilized services. | | |
| ▲ | BeetleB 2 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | When it comes to recent popular movies, the wait times can be over 6 months. I'm usually number 480 on the waitlist or something. I wouldn't call that underutilized. :-) | |
| ▲ | WCSTombs 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-] | | In my experience, there can be pretty high contention for certain items, so you need to be on the ball or make use of the "place hold" feature judiciously. Yeah, people are using the service. | |
| ▲ | dingaling 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | Sadly, libraries in UK towns have very little shelf space left and what's on them is usually mass-market fiction, biography or very old non-fiction. Honestly isn't worth the effort to visit my local one, unless I want to join a crochet club or do 'mindfulness' jigsaws. |
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| ▲ | abnercoimbre 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-] |
| Recent shows or movies make it there regularly! |
