The Library Media desk staff hears this question often: "Can I take this video home?" and until now, the answer has always been, "No, students have to watch videos in the Library." Starting today, thanks to a generous gift from an alumni donor, students CAN check out selected DVDs, up to 3 at a time, for 7 days.
Now, a little bit about the man who made this possible. Dick Beebe graduated from Emerson College, and Yale School of Drama. After Yale, he went to Los Angeles, where he became a successful writer for film and television. His credits include The Lazarus Man, a TV series with Robert Urich, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, "Only Skin Deep", from season 6 of the HBO series Tales from the Crypt, and the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill.
As might be expected from a writer who specialized in horror, his video collection is strong in this area. In addition to the classics, it includes unusual items like Charles Crichton's British horror anthology, The Dead of Night, Richard Stanley's cult opus Dust Devil, and Benjamin Christensen's history of witchcraft, Haxan. (This is probably a good place to note that not all of Mr. Beebe's collection is part of the circulating collection. Titles the Library didn't already own will become part of the teaching collection. That said, the circulating collection features plenty of very scary movies--from Alien to Carrie to The Wicker Man to the aforementioned Haxan--and just in time for Halloween.
Another collection highlight reflects Mr. Beebe's interest in television. Starting with The Honeymooners, his collection samples every era--from the 1950's Have Gun, Will Travelto contemporary shows like The Wire.
Sadly, Dick Beebe died June 20, 2008, from complications associated with brain cancer. We feel privileged that he decided shortly before his death to share his love of movies with his alma mater.