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Forums - General - Proof that America is Becoming Retarded...

reask on 06 September 2008
mrstickball said:

Really stupid and anecdotal, but it really ticks me off.

If people don't know, my fiancee' works at a library - long regarded as a very good, solid institution of learning outside of school. A must-have for those that want to study on subjects outside of what school offers.

But lately, it seems (at least in my area), libraries are degrading themselves from insitutions of learning, into random entertainment centers for welfare-bound citizens.

 

At my library, it seems that the stupidity is only growing, as they recieved a large sum of money ($10m USD) from a patron.

So what does my library now offer due to this generous sum of money?

  • A robust DVD collection of all the timeless favorites that Blockbuster offers - the library gets the DVD's faster than any rental shop in town. And it's free.
  • A policy that allows any patron to come in, and sign up for renting up to 4 DVDs per visit to the library. Some patrons come in 7 days a week, and rent 4 DVD's each day.
  • Oh, and the fiction DVD section outweighs non-fiction (ie, historical) by about 3:1 or even 4:1.
  • Blu-Ray DVD's (soon)
  • 20+ Internet Capable desktops. Not that it's a huge issue....Except for the fact that 70% of the time, the computers are used for Halo, MMOs or porn & dating

And the kicker: They will be "renting" out Xbox 360's, Wiis and video games for both consoles. Entirely free, to the public.

Now, some might say "OMG, YOU HAVE THE COOLEST LIBRARY EVER", which at first, sounds great. But lets think about it: Rather than help students, or people learn, they are entirely dedicated to catering to get people in the library, regardless of the reason. Am I the only one that thinks this is stupidity at it's finest?

 

 No; more snobbery imo do you not think people less well off should have acess to this?



 

 

 

 

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Galaki on 06 September 2008

They are just doing what they are good at. Spend someone else's money.



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Tispower1 on 06 September 2008
mrstickball said:
akuma587 said:

I agree that it is a bit much to rent out equipment.  Maybe if the equipment is relatively inexpensive or that it can't be taken out of the library (i.e. you have to give them a driver's license or a deposit before you can check it out), then I don't mind, but consoles are too much.

It just all comes down to cost.  They can probably get a lot of those DVD's for $10-$20 (or less if they go to Wal-Mart!), and pretty much any book is going to cost that much.  The downside is the DVD's can get scratched, but I guess people can fuck up books about as badly.

 

No deposit on anything.

No credit card on file, or any form of ID to sign up for DVDs. If you cannot read/write, a librarian can fill the form(s) out for you. No proof is needed to verify if you are indeed Homer Simpson that lives on Evergreen Terrace, or not.

 

WTF? That's it completely retarded! How on earth are they going to make sure these game consoles are returned? Do they just have huge faith in people?

 



DOATS1 on 06 September 2008
colonelstubbs said:
I wish we had libraries like this in England....

you must live in some deprived part of england. every library within 10 miles of me offer all these services except video games.




mrstickball on 06 September 2008
Tispower1 said:

WTF? That's it completely retarded! How on earth are they going to make sure these game consoles are returned? Do they just have huge faith in people?

 

They have a collections department that can collect on large(r) unpaid fines. However, there's no real safeguard against falsifying information to rent out item(s). I know some people go to the library have burned 50+ DVDs in a matter of days thanks to their policies.

@reask -

Your assuming a few things about these people. They:

  • Already have a TV
  • Have a DVD player
  • Have a CD player (for CD's)

If they have a TV and DVD player, they have already invested quite a bit of money into playing DVD's...Why can't they go pay $1.00 to rent a DVD from the building right beside it? These people have money - They have cars to get to the library. Cash to own various products to run the media, yet depend on taxpayer money, as well as private donations to get DVDs that they could otherwise pay for.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

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super_etecoon on 06 September 2008

I find the title of this thread highly distasteful.



mrstickball on 06 September 2008

...You don't find a library using donations to build a big gaming library the least bit unintelligent?

I expect this libraries next move to expand to offer rental HDTVs.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

BenKenobi88 on 06 September 2008

My county library near my house is like this, without videogames though.

I can't say we haven't gotten movies from there...but we typically don't...I guess because it just doesn't seem right? The library doesn't seem like the place for that...

Then again, I haven't gone to the library for a book in like 4 years...I go to Borders to buy books and heaven forbid I have to search for books for papers again.



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Bet with disolitude: Left4Dead will have a higher Metacritic rating than Project Origin, 3 months after the second game's release.  (hasn't been 3 months but it looks like I won :-p )

Tispower1 on 06 September 2008

Frankly, I'm now expecting my College Library to do the same thing ;) However, as I have to use my student card to get stuff out, they'll be able to track whose taking out games, hmmmm...



super_etecoon on 06 September 2008
mrstickball said:
...You don't find a library using donations to build a big gaming library the least bit unintelligent?

I expect this libraries next move to expand to offer rental HDTVs.

No..i don't.  I think that libraries serve (and always have) the purpose of providing entertainment to the impoverished (like my family when I was a kid.)

I think this would have been great when I was a kid.

And if you're worried that the kids won't be learning....at least they're going to the library....where they can't help but be introduced to the literary culture.

 

 

Your thread title...on the other hand....is highly offensive.  That word....among many others which I won't name here...is considered off-limits.  I'm more bothered that a mod used that word to make a thread title than I am that libraries are checking out games and other art forms to kids for no money.