Deja_Vu

We have a new suggestion box at the Media Circulation Desk. Responses will be posted on the bulletin board near the elevators, and also here-- So, without further ado--

Suggestion: The Media Collection should have more Viggo Mortensen and Gary Oldman films.
Response: Who doesn't like Viggo and Gary? If you can suggest some specific titles, we'll do our best to get them--

Suggestion: We should have films which take place in Boston, such as The Departed. Also you should get the TV Series Mad About You.
Response: We agree that films set in Boston are an asset to the collection. We have some in the collection already (Good Will Hunting, The Verdict), and will definitely add The Departed.
Many instructors are using TV series in their curriculum, so we'll be adding more to the collection. In the meantime we'll get at least season one of Mad About You.

Suggestion: We should get 12 Angry Men for the collection; it's a crime that we don't have it!
Response: 12 Angry Men is on order, so look for it in the next month or so.

Suggestion: I think that Media Services should start allowing students to rent out films from the collection.
Response: This is a suggestion that many students have made over the past several years. It certainly makes sense given limited viewing facilities available for in-house viewing, and the importance of film in the Emerson curriculum. However, since almost all of our titles have been purchased to support specific classes, faculty are justifiably concerned that opening up the collection to student borrowing might make it difficult for them to get their materials when they need them in class. Bob Fleming, the new Library Director, is looking into possible solutions to this problem. Stay tuned for more details!

Suggestion: The collection should have more Peter Greenaway films for those interested in film theory.
Response: Thanks for your suggestion. We will definitely order some more Greenaway, specifically The Falls.
Unfortunately, Drowning By Numbers is not in print, probably because it is going to be reissued on DVD. So when we find out about that, we'll order it.
The entire Suitcase Trilogy is due to come out on DVD in December, so we'll order it then.

Suggestion: You should get The History Boys for the collection. It would benefit any Theater Ed, Performance, and Film students, as well as my WP101 class which is watching it now.
Response: Any video that is being watched by a class should be added to the collection, so we'll order The History Boys right away!

Suggestion: You should get Dead Alive 1 & 3 because you currently only have Dead Alive 2.
Response: Alas, our budget won't allow us to purchase every part of a series unless it is being used for a class. If you know of any class that is planning to show Dead Alive 1 and/or 3, let us know and we'll do our best to get them.

Suggestion: You should get Grindhouse for the collection because it is a fascinating study of B-movie/ 'grindhouse' cinema.
Response: Ok, Grindhouse isn't released yet, but will be soon, and we'll order it then.

Ok, keep those cards and letters coming! We'll post responses every Friday.

Suggestion: Media Services should buy Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 4.

Response: Actually, we already have this title in our collection. Its accession number is DV1004 for anyone interested in booking it.

Suggestion 1: You should purchase Suspiria by Dario Argento because it is the best horror movie ever.
Suggestion 2: You should purchase Star Trek: The Next Generation. Season 1-7 for ethics and philosophy courses as well as science fiction.

Response to suggestions 1 and 2: During this time of year our budget is limited. Our first priority has to be the requests made by instructors for specific courses. However, we intend to create a wish list with other titles which can be purchased at a later date when funds become available. We will add Suspiria and Star Trek: The Next Generation to this list.

Suggestion: Media Services should purchase videogame hardware and software from Atari to PS2 and Wii. This would benefit new media majors, who would be better served by having the essentials of their chosen media. Plus, classes cant get taught until the hardware and software are here to make it feasible.

Response: This is a great idea! We will be sure to discuss this with the Library Director and Media Services.

tried to return a DVD borrowed from our collection via interoffice mail. It never arrived, and when the Media Librarian told him he'd need to pay for a replacement he said okay, but he wanted to point out this was an "illegal dub of a bootleg tape".
Well! Imagine the horrified response of the Media Librarian who would NEVER allow an illegal dub of ANYTHING to defile the media collection!!!!
No, no, no, she corrected him. This DVD was a perfectly legal copy of a Umatic original, which the Media Librarian considers an "obsolete" format.
Note that: the "Media Librarian considers" . . .
This incident highlights the controversial, confusing, and shadowy nature of educational media use. Copyright law and court precedent have established a framework of limitation--but within that framework, there's lots of leeway for faculty, students, and administrators to put their own spin on the situation. Now the Society for Cinema and Media Studies is trying to clarify the situation.
In the meantime, what are the lessons learned from this incident?
1. never return Media Collection materials via interoffice mail.
2. the Media Librarian would never knowingly violate the existing copyright laws. It is just that she has trouble knowing exactly what they mean sometimes.

Suggestion: I Shot Jesse James. Currently you have very little Sam Fuller who is pretty important.

Suggestion: The Americanization of Emily. This would benefit people trying to write papers about Paddy Chayevesky.

Suggestion: Scream on DVD.

Response: These would all be great additions to the collection--unfortunately, the Media Librarian's enthusiasm must be tempered by mid-year budget realities. So for the rest of the year, at least, faculty requests for classroom materials have to be our purchasing priority.
In the meantime, however, there is hope! Go to the Library website, click on "Other Libraries" and then on "Search other catalogs." Open the Mass Virtual Catalog.You can use your Emerson library barcode number to log on, and search for and request video titles from other libraries across the state. We found sources for Americanization of Emily and I Shot Jesse James, but not for Scream. So there's no guarantee--but if the title you seek is available, you can request it, and pick it up at the Library once it arrives. The length of the loan is set by the library who provides the video. Try it!

Suggestion #1: X-Files Deluxe Edition: ALL SEASONS.

Response: This would be a great addition to the collection, and this series is used in many classes, but it is a big ticket item (over $200!). We have the complete second, third, and forth seasons, so we plan to add the individual seasons gradually (hopefully they will remain available for awhile).

Suggestion #2: Get rid of the witch who works in the back.

Response: Goodness, the Media Librarian can only hope you are not referring to her! Seriously, if you have a customer service complaint, please let us know the specifics. Our goal is to provide friendly, courteous, and efficient help. We want to know if we fall short of that goal, so email Maureen Tripp@emerson.edu, or just ask to speak to the desk supervisor at the time.
P.S. If the "witch" was the media librarian, she was probably just having a bad day. Sorry!

AND NEW TITLES AS OF TODAY!

Carnival of Souls
Le Million
Under the Roofs of Paris
The Passion of Joan of Arc
and.... CHARMED SEASON ONE!!!!

The Museum of Fine Arts will be hosting screenings of "Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind", a film by John Gianvito. This film has been recognized at many leading film festivals and will be shown multiple times over the course of the next few weeks. The first show is scheduled for tonight, Friday November 30th, at 6:30pm. It will also be showing:
Sat, Dec 1st, 10:30am
Sat, Dec 8th, Noon
Thurs, Dec 13th, 2:30pm

The MFA is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA
MFA members, seniors, and students $8; general admission $9.