Morris Library always has been a second home to students doing research, but lately, some students are going to the library to check out videos for a little weekend entertainment.

By Gus Bode

James Fox, director of reference services and collection management, said the videos are a good way to support the cinema and photography department and also is a good cultural resource for the community.

The selection of films is very different from the films found in most video stores, he said.

We don’t have to worry about circulation, he said. The films will circulate, we hope, but we are not here to make a profit.

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The program began three years ago when Fox organized a new program to allow the library to work with faculty in selecting materials while adhering to budget constraints, he said.

Fox said the departments give the liaisons lists of periodicals and books they need and work with them to decide what materials need to be cut.

The liaisons are the contact people, he said. This way, we don’t have to sit here and guess what should be cut.

Daren Callahan, the liaison for the cinema and photography department, said she began the video program because she felt students needed to have access to films that would help them learn the skills needed to succeed in cinema.

The administration was open to the idea and has been helpful in getting the program off the ground, she said.

One of the debates was whether or not to put the videos in circulation or have it strictly in-house, she said. If something is in circulation, it has higher use and reaches a wide range of people. The administration has allowed us to have a two-day circulation period. She said she chose unusual films that feature works of more respected actors and directors. With more than 600 titles, students can find a wide variety of foreign and domestic films, she said.

The selections are not exactly parallel with the video stores, she said. We wanted the films to be a representation of a lot of different countries and directors.

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The funds for the videos will be cut approximately 5 percent, or about $250, as part of the $8.6 million cut in funds to SIUC, Fox said. Funding for the videos will not be cut as extensively as the other library programs, he said.

Periodicals go up in price more and have about a 10.5 percent inflation rate, he said. Records and videos we receive as individual purchases. They do not go up as much, and so the cut won’t be as much.

Callahan said the cuts are going to mean fewer purchases for the program and will reduce the number of independent films she is able to purchase.

The program is not going to grow as quickly as we would like, she said. Independent films are expensive and usually stay that way.

The videos are located in the reserve section of the undergraduate library on the first floor in Morris Library. A catalog listing titles and their corresponding numbers available.

Tara Marshall, a senior in theater who works at Morris Library, said the films are a great resource for learning and a good means of entertainment.

We have all of these fun videos like Monty Python,’ she said. This is good because it saves money and you get to keep the films for two days. It is good to know that once in a while you don’t have to pay for something.

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