Are DVDs Dinosaurs? The Impact, and Inequities, of Streaming

Abstract

When the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) re-opened in August 2020 after being shuttered to the public for six months, it launched a soft reopening with SFPL To Go. Patrons could return materials and put holds on physical items at the branch’s entrance, but the public health order prohibited the public from entering the building; this restriction would not be lifted until May 2021.

At first, the main branch received all returns that had accumulated during the closure for a system of twenty-seven branches and a bookmobile. Two media formats, DVDs and Blu-rays—belong to a floating collection. With only two locations open, the main branch was inundated with these returns.