Multi-part DVDs Packaging Workgroup Minutes

March 2, 2021, 1 pm

Phone/video conference

Present: Tom Campbell (MAD), Kathy Wolkoff (MEA), Eric Crow (MTH), Autumn Baumann (POR), Chris Baker (POR), LuAnn Kranz (DFT), Judy Taft (ACL), Rebecca Swanson (FCH), Laura Dewey (ORE), Heather Garvey (SUN), Nate Snortum (DCL), Sarah Bukrey (STO), Brendan Faherty (MID), Katelyn Van Lankvelt (SKC), Alison Wirth (STP), Katrina Linde-Moriarty (MNT).

Excused: None

Absent: Eric Norton (MCM)

Recorder: Michelle Karls (SCLS)

SCLS Staff Present: Vicki Teal Lovely, Amy Gannaway, Heidi Oliversen, Kayla Linke

1. Call to Order 1:04 pm

a. Introduction of guests/visitors

i. None.

b. Changes/Additions to the Agenda

i. None.

c. Requests to address the Committee

i. None.

2. Approval of previous meeting notes: n/a

3. Action Items

a. None.

4. Discussion

a. Workgroup Charge

i. Examine the pros and cons of making a change to the current policy of circulating all parts of multi-part DVD sets separately to circulating them as a set.

ii. Reach a decision on whether or not to continue circulating all parts of multi-part DVD sets separately or to circulating them as a set.

b. Roles of SCLS Participants

i. Decision is up to libraries (workgroup operates under consensus)

ii. SCLS staff coordinate process, facilitate during meetings, listen, assist with language, adjust policies, documentation and training as necessary

c.  Goal of Workgroup

i. Examine the pros and cons of making a change to the current policy of circulating all parts of multi-part DVD sets separately to circulating them as a set. 

ii. Determine how each member of the workgroup feels about circulating all parts of a DVD set together is a good thing or not. 

iii. Reach consensus regarding whether or not making a change to the current policy of circulating all parts of multi-part DVD sets separately to circulating them as a set.

d. Timeline

i. Present recommendation to ILS Committee at the April 7 meeting

ii. April 7-June 1, ILS Committee cluster reps discuss proposal at cluster meetings

iii. June 2, ILS Committee votes on recommendation (policy)

iv. June 2-  ILS staff adjusts documentation and training materials (would not affect retroactive issues)

v. We decided to extend the process to take as long as we need to research the issues and make an informed decision

vi. Rio and Marshfield: would need to (potentially) repackage materials to match how they are already in the system. They will need to package these materials to match what is in the system indefinitely.

e. Discussion of issues

• It will be more confusing to patrons because it is only for new items
• Circulation will decrease
• These items currently have a 7 day loan period; this may need to be changed and may need to create new ITYPE 
• Currently, when one disc is done, it can be checked in and made available to the next patron; changing this may result in longer wait times for holds
• Define materials: children’s, adults, TV series, etc.? All multi-part DVD sets. 
• Proposal that went to the committee was for TV series
• Current policy has some exceptions, such as the Criterion materials
• Currently, any Teaching Company materials that are already in the catalog may be done differently for new materials depending on packaging (this is an exception and is rare)
• If this goes forward, can an individual library go back and redo them?
• People are more used to binge-watching series and the current practice does not facilitate that 
• Libraries will need to deal with different package and storage systems 
• If a disc is lost, and it can’t be replaced will the set need to be removed
• If a disc is lost, the whole set does not need to be replaced; other discs can continue to circulate (lower costs)
• Libraries may circulate an entire season by purchasing a second set and circulating it as a walkin item 
• Full seasons on a single bib record will get “swallowed up” by bigger libraries and will take longer to get through holds. These will not be available in libraries for browsing as they will be out filling holds. 
• Patrons have a difficult time managing holds for an entire season when broken out by individual discs; episodes come out of order unless you suspend and release them
• Suspending holds to keep sequence of episodes increases wait time and workload on staff, delivery and patrons
• Patrons will sometimes refuse to take a hold when they discover it is an episode out of order
• Patrons are frustrated when they can’t get the entire season when browsing to check out
• Changing to packaging as a set would save on shelving space and costs of cases
• Changing packaging is not an issue for larger libraries
• Many patrons are seniors and would appreciate the seasons circulating together; younger patrons are likely to stream the entire content from the internet
• Patrons can only stream if they have internet access (location dependant) 
• Browsing the TV series in a library with the possibility of checking out an entire season would draw more patrons to local collections
• SCLS already circulates some series together--example the Honorable woman with 3 discs (clarification: this was a miniseries which did circulate separately and then the rules change; there are still older miniseries in the system which circulate separately)
• If we currently are missing a specific disc, we can submit an OLL request to another system and they typically provide the entire season
• Changing to packaged together would streamline OLL practice on the lending side (from SCLS libraries to other system libraries); currently if a library wants season 6, then SCLS OLL staff need to request all parts and determine if they can be loaned; if parts are lost, they need to invoice for multiple libraries; getting all parts back takes staff time. Borrowing from other systems is also an issue because we get the whole season even when a patron wants only one disc. They have to decline requests when a particular disc is missing. Many systems do not loan AV through ILL. 
• What would the charge be for lost items; now it is per item, but would it need to be for the whole set if one disc is lost? 
• Since circulation has decreased anyway, this may be good timing to do something else that impacts circulation 
• Biggest reason to make the change is for patrons; give the people what they want in this era of streaming
• Cataloging issue: No BSE is created for sets at the time or order; records for sets aren’t created until the item is in hand. If these were packaged as sets, a BSE could go into the system for that set and patrons could see it and could start placing holds. 
• When a patron has checked out a series and a disc stops working, they will need to return the whole set and would prefer to just get the one disc that isn’t working. 
• If sets are packaged together, there may be a tendency to package the materials in the packaging they come in and it is usually terrible. 
• There may be additional cataloging and packaging issues with very large sets; for example there may be sets that have discs from one season and cross over into another season. 
• In current practice, when a certain number of discs for individual episodes are lost and a full season can’t be put together, is there a process to say that everything should be withdrawn? 
• If this is not retroactive, how is it made clear in the catalog that they are getting one disc in a set or the entire set? 
• People use libraries to get things that are harder to find for streaming. A 5 disc case takes up less space than 5 slimline cases and a library may be more likely to retain them. 
• In some libraries, space is not as much of an issue as it is for others. 
• Most sets come in packages that are solid and could be put on library shelves. 
• Patrons are already waiting a long time to get an entire season of discs in order. 
• Patrons will be able to place more holds as a set is reflected by one hold, not many. 
• Make the process as easy as possible for patrons. Right now there is a lot of friction to the process. 
• Making a change like this during a time like this (pandemic) may be more difficult for patrons
• Should we try both ways? Would this be (even) more confusing? 
• Can searching across sets be less confusing? 

f. Next Steps:  ILS Staff will compile the pros and cons, prepare a draft survey/straw poll for libraries, and send to group members for feedback.  We will contact other systems about how they handle these materials. 

· What do patrons want?

· Would knowing that patrons would prefer to have TV series packaged together, change a library’s preference in another direction? 

· What do other systems do? 

• Do you circulate TV series as sets or each disc separately?
• How long do you circulate TV series for? 
• What do you do with a set when a disc is missing?
• Does the size of the set impact the way it is circulated? (do you break up any sets?)
• Have you ever considered separating discs in sets or do you wish that they were separated?
• Do you know of vendors that will do single disc replacements?
• If one disc in a set is lost or damaged, do you charge for the replacement of the entire set?
• Do you use the original packaging that a set comes in, or do you repackage the set? 
• Are youth multi-part TV series packaged differently and/or circulated with different loan periods than adult materials? 

· Straw poll of LINKcat libraries:

· Provide lists of pros: do you believe these are positive? Click all that apply. 

· Cons: do you believe these are a problem? Click all that apply.

· Would you vote yes or no to combining discs in a set?

· What are your top two reasons for this choice?

5. Plan for Next meetings: We will conduct a doodle poll of possible meeting dates after the survey closes (meet sometime in early April).

6. Adjournment

For more information about the Multi-part DVDs Packaging Workgroup, contact Vicki Teal Lovely.

SCLS staff are available to attend cluster meetings to share information and answer questions pertaining to this committee meeting and other departmental projects.

Multi-part DVDs Packaging Workgroup/Minutes/03-02-2021