I am a complete geek for my public library. A week does not pass without a visit to a physical location or multiple visits to the online catalog. Friends revel in their Netflix ques while I extol the virtues of free access to materials and my very own online account chock full of goodies. Sure my movie que may take a heck of a lot longer to retrieve a title (I am currently number 37 for “The Last King of Scotland”) then if I payed for a rental service but I find getting things for free is more fun even if it is a challenge.
I could avoid the wait for a new title, beating everyone to the punch, by logging into the catalog a week or two before a DVD is slated for release. Staying informed about DVD release schedules, unfortunately, takes research and time out of one’s day. I find this unnecessary. If the latest film isn’t available I put it on hold and take a trip to the library to pick up a small stack of films, new and old, I missed. I picked up “Shattered Glass“ on a chance visit and I plan on grabbing “Taxi Driver” to gain some perspective on “The Brave One”.
I have gathered a list of pros and cons about relying on the public library for my movie fix:
Pros:
Cons:
I am not saying I will never rent a film from Blockbuster or join Netflix in order to watch a popular tv series (once high definition DVD is mainstream mind you) but for now I save my pennies for the movie theater by watching DVDs for free.
I just noticed a news post from my library site stating they carry PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii games. Depending on the selection and demand this too could be a potential replacement for game rental. I don't always need the newest game title and heck I only have a Gamecube but when I upgrade my console I will be on board.