If your library has not tried television series yet you might consider giving them a try. Your patrons, if they are like ours, always mention that they don’t have time to watch anything anymore. This isn’t just for Movies, they are also talking about television series. Before you think about Tivo or DVRing shows you have to remember not everyone has these applications for their televisions. I don’t even have a Tivo or a DVR. Also some of your patrons will not be able to afford cable television or premium channels like HBO or Showtime.
The only way these individuals might be able to watch television series. that they like. could be their local library. Yes, television series are more expansive than movies, however when you divide the cost by the number of discs you get in a series pack it is the same if not cheaper than one disc for a movie and usually contains more content (3 to 4 hours worth).
There are two space considerations to think about when purchasing television series. If you have plenty of space and want to boost your circulation you can individually package the discs for a series. If you do have space concerns you can package your series in one package. Some libraries leave them in their original packaging, which is fine but they could still take up space. The best packaging I have found is from the webstore”Showcases”. They have packaging that can store television series in one slim DVD case, which saves even more room. (See links below)
This might be an expense for your library that you are unsure about taking on. If you are unsure, ask your patrons to see if they would like your library to start circulating television series. This way you know for sure that there is a need for television series in your library.
