Students who are distressed over the closures of the Residence
Hall Libraries in September now have the option of a new resource
that has been opened to undergraduates.

The Film and Video Library at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library
offers a collection of more than 23,000 instructional, documentary
and popular videos. Prior to this school year, the FVL had only
been opened to the faculty and staff.

But some students are still skeptical that this new resource
will be convenient. “I live in Couzens (Residence Hall) and
it seems very inconvenient to walk all the way to the UGLi to rent
videos,” LSA sophomore Lauren Davis said.

Some students seem to view the FVL simply as an academic
resource and not for entertainment value.

“I used the FVL library a few times to do some projects
for school and educational purposes, but I don’t see myself
going there in my leisure time,” LSA sophomore Deronn Kidd
said.

Instead, many students go to local vendors to satisfy their need
for entertainment. Jay Ketelhut, a manager at Campus Video Rental
Store on Church Street, has noticed an increase in student video
rentals this semester.

But in the remaining residence hall libraries at East Quad and
Bursley, circulation numbers have shown a slight decrease in the
amount of items that are being checked out.

“In November 2002, 452 DVDs and 232 videos were checked
out of East Quad library, but in October 2003, only 363 DVDs and
201 videos were checked out of East Quad library,” said David
Pimentel, director of Residence Hall Libraries.

These numbers reflect the transition that the dorm libraries are
making, into more academic-based establishments called Community
Learning Centers. East Quad and Bursley will also become CLCs some
time after the winter semester. These transitions to CLCs are
prompting some students to feel that East Quad’s library is
becoming a more important place.

“I think it (East Quad) is a really good place for both
residents and outsiders to be able to check out DVDs and other
materials for free,” LSA sophomore Megan Halmo said.
“It’s a nice service and a popular place for people to
hang out and study.”Students without the convenience of a
library in their residence hall have an invitation to rent from the
Film and Video Library.

“The FVL is where the University faculty and graduate
student instructors typically go to get their videos for class.
Now, we are opening up our facilities to undergraduates as
well,” said Michael Miller, director of arts and engineering
libraries. If a student misses a film that is shown in class and it
is available at the FVL, they can view it in one of the seven
viewing areas provided by the library. Students can also use the
viewing stations offered by the FVL to watch their own videos or
DVDs if they are available.

“ All you have to do is check MIRLYN (Michigan Research
Library Network) to see whether or not we own the video that you
desire, and you can check out your selections by simply using your
MCard,” Miller added.

The FVL’s hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. to 6
p.m. on Sunday. It is closed Saturday.