Gwinnett Decides to Retain DVDs

-- Library Journal, 11/23/2005

Though thefts led the Gwinnett County Public Library, GA, to sell most of the library's remaining DVD collection, the board in November decided to keep the remaining 8000 children's DVDs and videos, disregarding a recommendation from library director Jo Ann Pinder. The library lost some 17,000 DVDs, mostly children's titles, to theft, and the board agreed in September to sell off the collection. Parents who homeschool their children protested, and after 13,000 DVDs were sold, the board decided to halt the process. According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, board chair Dan English said the board better understood the parents' concerns.

Pinder told LJ, "Our recommendation remained the same—to discontinue the collection." She estimated that the remaining videos would be weeded within the next six months, based on the library's weeding guidelines. As for the DVDs, she said, "We will return the DVDs to a sequestered location, and they will only be available by request. We have not yet determined how we will target them for RFID—the box or the DVD. We do not have security gates, so this will be a consideration in our decision." The library had concluded that the RFID system would not work well with DVDs.