In case you didn't see it, the Kansas City Public Library Midtown Branch made the Library Journal for its "eye-popping statistics". The article does hit on both the positives and negatives around the significant growth in DVD rentals:
The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library(KCKPL), at least at its downtown Main Branch has racked up some eye-popping statistics. In 2009, DVDs accounted for 59.5% of the adult circulation and 55.1% of the entire branch's circulation, while this year, through July, the figures are 58.5% and 54.5%.
The library in 2007 opened a new DVD section and enhanced the collection. To Assistant Director Helen Rigdon, the results represent a double-edged sword. "While this increase in numbers is good for circulation, we worry about just being thought of as a ‘video store,'" she told LJ.
And while the availability of DVDs does attract visitors, the Main Branch layout allows patrons to go straight to the second floor without passing print—stairs and elevator go directly to the second floor from the foyer.
The library has placed literature and calendars regarding library programs in the A/V area, but, Rigdon said, "For the most part these patrons seem to be focused only on getting the latest DVD."
The full story is available at: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/886815-264/at_main_library_in_kansas.html.csp
