Here are the compiled results from my DVD security request: DVD Security Initial question: "How many of you are still using some form of security for your DVDs? We currently keep fiction DVDs in binders behind the desk and the empty cases on the shelves. Our non-fiction DVDs are in their cases on the shelves. Since DVDs are a less popular format, I am contemplating returning the fictions DVDs to their cases on the shelves and reclaiming the desk space for other use. What are you using and are you planning on making changes? If you have yours all out on the shelves, do you see a high rate of theft?" __________________________________________________________________________________ Answers: I work at a couple different libraries, which are probably smaller than your library. One is a Class 2 and the other was a Class 3. A number of years ago, we went from holding the DVDs behind the circulation desk to putting them out on the shelf. There have been a few thefts or missing DVDs from kids that parents have caught, but mostly people are pretty good. Some come back without the DVD, but that is simply a mistake for the most part. Being a much larger library then I'm used to working in, maybe it would be better to check with one of them. Just thought I should respond.... Here at Plymouth, we keep just the new DVD and blu-ray discs behind the circulation desk, as well as the video game discs. Once the movies are older than 6 months, they're moved to a different shelving area and returned to their cases. We still have the majority of our fiction DVDs in binders behind the desk. If we purchase a dvd a year or more after release or add a donated DVD to the collection, I typically shelve it in the case. New release and highly popular titles go into the binders. Older DVDs that circulate infrequently I will periodically change in status to shelve in case. Due to the dynamic nature of whether videos are stored in binders or stored in case, every title with the disc(s) stored in case includes a circulation note that pops up on check-out and check-in to "check item for x # of DVDs) and the disc itself is labeled as either CASE or ### with a matching sticker inside the case. Oops still happens and some discs aren't pulled and put in the binder after circulation. There is some theft, but since they discs stored in cases are less frequently circulated titles I haven't noticed an inordinate number, nor typically does our general patronage miss them. Most would be caught only during an inventory process. Like you, our documentaries and educational videos are shelved in cases. We used the same exact system of storing the discs behind the desk, and the empty cases were on shelf. I eventually did a trial of having some of the discs live in the cases on the shelf to see what would happen. We had no issues. I then increased it to all of our DVDs living in the case on the shelf, and still haven't had any issues. It's been a couple years now. I think you're familiar with Putnam enough to know that we are small, so not a huge collection to keep an eye on. Also I should point out that our DVDs live on the shelves next to the circulation desk, so it's a fairly safe space, in terms of being monitored. Our DVDs are all out on the shelves, but they are in security cases (some in Kwik cases, some in One-Time security cases). We have not seen a high rate of theft among them, more of the missing items end up coming from our Blu-Ray collection it seems (those are also on the shelves in security cases). We're currently checking our DVD inventory, actually, so I can say with confidence almost everything that should be there, is. We've never had our DVDs on the shelves with no security, can't guess how that might change things. We recently moved all our DVDs from sleeves behind the circ counter into their cases on the shelf. DVDs aren't as valuable as they once were, and we haven't had a problem with theft. Also, the time we are saving in staff not having to retrieve the DVDs from the sleeves and put them into cases at the circulation counter really adds up, win-win! We returned all of our dvds to their cases, previously empty on the shelves, over a year before COVID, and have seen very little theft. It's worked well for us. Good luck with your project! We put ours back into the cases two years ago and have not regretted it. We save time on transactions and staff effort. No one is stealing them. Plus, these days, the cost of books is higher than many DVDs. We quit taking the DVDs out of the cases about 3 years ago. We returned our DVDs to their cases and shelve them intact. I think we have less problems now than we did before. We have NOT had a problem with theft whatsoever. We save a lot of time and space. Staff met it with much resistance, but I love it! We never have used any kind of security for our DVDs but then again we are a very small library. 1500 square feet serving a population of just over 3,000. We still have our regular DVDs with blank cases on display and the real item behind the desk. I don't see us changing that anytime soon. We currently have duplicate cases behind the service desk and into the staff room and I'd love to reclaim the shelf space! I'm contemplating putting them together with the magnetic/red security tabs from Demco. Intrigued what your responses will be. When I priced it at one point last year it was over $5000 to get the cases, tabs, and two magnets. We don't have any gate security. At Leanna Hicks Public Library of Inkster, we have the DVDs behind the desk and the cases shelved. We haven't changed this, but are considering it for the same reasons. Since I (and my staff) are new to the community, we were following the procedures of the previous staff. I am one to trust others until they prove untrustworthy, which is why I am considering when we do our DVD relabelling project to change the method and test the waters. We intend to start this project in May. We keep our most popular DVDs on the shelf in locking cases. Our first "model" of locking cases are no longer available. We switched to a different type and the some staff complain that they have difficulty getting them open. At Garden City Public Library, for most of our DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, we use security cases like these (black for DVD, blue for Blu-Ray): http://www.shopbrodart.com/Library-Supplies/AV-Audio-Visual-Media-Supplies/M... We have had some loss due to theft, but not a great deal. We do not plan to discontinue the use of security cases. We use locked cases so the DVDs go on the shelf and get unlocked when they are checked out. We have a target in the case that will set off our security system if someone tries to walk out with them. We actually just did this. I started here at MPL 3 months ago and all the DVDs were in sleeves behind the circ desk. We moved them into their cases and reclaimed a bunch of space in our staff area. The cost of potentially losing a few DVDs outweighs the time the staff put into having them in the back. Hope that helps! We did that in Millington and it was a great decision. Such a time saver... and as far as cost in case of loss: we were leaving $45.00 audio books out but not $12.00 dvd's?? At the same time we labeled the cases with the genre and rating. Do it :-) About a year and a half ago, we returned all our DVDs to their cases, after having kept them behind the desk for years. The whole DVD checkout process was a nightmare because staff had to go wading through DVD sleeves to find the correct disk, and there were errors because they would rush (wrong disks placed in cases). So far (knock on wood) we have not seen an increase in missing DVD disks. We still have DVDs, and we are not using any security measures to prevent theft. We have a sizable collection for our size, with over 7,000 titles, including feature films, TV series, documentaries, and children's titles, in addition to our quite small Blu-ray collection. We have been using a similar system to yours, using wooden drawers behind the desk, made possible by volunteer craftsman and funding from our Friends group. It's been *very* successful over the last 10 years or so in preventing theft, and even as we begin increasing our Blu-ray collection, I don't think we'll move away from it. When it was first implemented, we were losing up to $250 worth of DVDs per week. Our collection is still the most popular collection by circulation, so we won't be moving toward ending the system any time soon. Our system today is functionally the same, but more refined, and involves made-to-order stackable wooden drawers holding color-coded paper disc sleeves that vary by the title. Our children's materials (up on another floor), video games, and non-fiction titles are in white sleeves, and our Blu-ray titles have differently shaded sleeves, all to make them easily differentiated by the staff. Once in place, the system has been very inexpensive to maintain. We recently added another stack of drawers, (which are slightly lighter in color as the stain ages to match the others) however, this is currently the limit of this option for us. We won't be able to increase virtually any more, due to the height, though we could add more cupboard and countertop, perhaps. The drawers are secured with pegs to lock together, and there is a tip-prevention bar on the wall behind that keeps it from tipping, even if multiple drawers are open at the same time. The drawers were made using smooth, quiet, slow-close sliders, and I cannot recommend it more. It really works well for us. The only significant disadvantage is that we're limited on space, but we're okay right now. It encourages healthy weeding routine. We have ours in locked cases on the shelf; we unlocked them when they are checked out. We historically have had a huge theft problem with popular items, including dvds. It was very frustrating but the theft rate has seemed to slow down in the last several years (pre-covid). I am not sure why though because our new locked cases are easier to open than the old ones. If you need the space more than it bothers you to lose some of your collection, then I say go for it... We don't use any security for our DVD's. A couple years ago we were losing any Marvel movie (or related content...not specific to Marvel) as soon as it hit the shelves. At that point we had started to contemplate adding security... but in the past year we've added Kanopy and are really beginning to view DVD's as a dying format. We aren't buying as many, and are putting funding into streaming video instead. Previous to the pandemic we charged a rental fee for fiction movies. This went away during pandemic and it will not be returning for the same reasons. Dying format + free streaming from the library. IMHO, I'd get that desk space back. We've never used any security with our DVDs other than a tattle tape that would set off our door alarm. They have always been on the shelves. Very little issue with theft; more of an issue with being checked out & not returned. I honestly think DVDs are going the way of VHS tapes. More people subscribe to Netflix, Prime Video, etc. We used to experience a rather high rate of theft, especially in new fiction DVDs, when we kept the discs in the cases on the shelves. We switched to storing the discs in storage boxes behind the desk, but after a few years the amount of space it took up was more than we had to offer and it added several minutes to the checkout process. We switched to locking cases two years ago and it was the BEST DECISION EVER. We haven't experienced any theft and we gained a ton of space behind the desk. The upfront cost was a hit to our DVD budget (we have about 800 movies in our collection, and a very small yearly budget), but it was definitely worth it to not have to keep replacing movies we'd already purchased. Plus, as we weed movies we can re-use the case rather than purchasing a new one. We use One-Time locking security cases from Demco. (https://www.demco.com/one-time-trade-dvd-security-cases) We have some locking cases for most of our DVDs. However, a large part of our collection is still in regular cases. We keep them in filing cases in our back staff and pull them when they are checked out. I would be interested in learning what others are doing. I have thought about putting them in the cases on the shelf since the demand for DVDs has dropped since last year. Previously, (before Covid) our DVD collections had high circulation. We have all of our DVDs in the cases on our shelving. We do keep that shelving in view of the circulation desk and are a relatively small library with few places to sneak off to. Theft is minimal (less than 5 discs a year go missing and most of those end up being children's titles). We also don't purchase fiction titles right away (usually waiting 6 months to a year after release) which has increased our return rate and decreased our theft numbers. Erin N. Schmandt Director Caro Area District Library 840 W. Frank Street Caro, MI 48723 (989) 673-4329 x102 [Caro-Area-District-Library-Logo]
