Last week in The Denisonian office, I was bullied by my fellow editors. The staff was all sharing their favorite weekend activities, and mine was shot down mercilessly.
So, I’ve decided to impart my wisdom unto you. Denison’s library is known for its excess of books and lack of study spaces, but it has a lot more to offer. On the first floor, just past the learning commons, are rows and rows of DVDs. Every genre, educational and entertaining, from foreign films to fantasy.
Sounds great, right? But some skeptics may be wondering, “Why would I bother to rent a DVD in the age of streaming?” Honestly, Netflix isn’t what it used to be, and they rarely give you access to new releases or old favorites. Netflix often doesn’t have the rights to popular movies and TV shows, whereas the library makes sure to keep them in stock.
Another reason to rent library movies is that they’re free for students! Well maybe not “free,” but they do come included with Denison’s tuition. This point alone gives the library an advantage over online streaming services; you’re already paying for college, you might as well take advantage of all it has to offer.
Maybe you’re an online TV devotee because you love the convenience of being able to watch from any device, anywhere. After all, who has DVD players anymore? Well, the library does! When you go to rent your movie or TV series, ask to rent a portable DVD player. This can be easily plugged into the USB drive of your laptop, and voila, you now have a DVD player.
Or maybe you prefer the old-fashioned movie experience and don’t want to take your DVD with you. The library has a myriad of computers that allow you to sit down, plug in some earbuds, and pop in your DVD rental. Wanna watch with friends? Consider reserving the viewing room on the library’s atrium level or Slayer auditorium to trick yourself into thinking you’re in a real movie theater. Or, if that’s too much work, just head to your favorite dorm common room and play your DVD there. Sidenote: playing a movie in your common room is also a great way to finally meet the people who live in your building but you’ve never spoken to.
To find what DVDs the library has to offer, just get on the Denison Library website and search in Summon for whatever your heart desires. You can also just go search through the DVDs in person. This is my prefered option, as there’s something vaguely transcendent about successfully hunting down a library resource. Or, if you are a college student who is literally incapable of figuring out how to use a library, you can go to the front desk and ask one of your friendly neighborhood librarians to find your DVD for you. The movies can be rented for about a week at a time, but can be easily renewed online.
I could sing the merits of the library all day, which is why I was so shocked that my fellow Denisonian editors scoffed at the mere suggestion they check out a DVD. FYI: renting movies doesn’t mean you can’t participate in other weekend activities! But let’s face it, we’re all watching TV, you might as well try a little variety outside of your basic streaming services.
Still not convinced? Here’s a list of fantastic movies and TV shows that the library has but Netflix does not.
Beetlejuice, Monsters Inc, Legally Blonde, Clueless, The Incredibles, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Handmaid’s Tale, Inglourious Basterds, Singin’ in the Rain, Whiplash, Napoleon Dynamite.