The Giovale Library at Westminster College has a large collection of DVDs available for rent that students can take advantage of. The discs range from Hollywood movies, informative documentaries and TV shows and are just to the right of the library’s entrance.
Although it may look overwhelming when you first walk into the large aisle of DVD cases, everything is sorted into two broad groups: Entertainment and education.
Students can check out up to four movies at a time, for a five-day period, with renewals available. Recently, rentals at the library have seen a lull — not only because of COVID-19 but also because of the nature of the product.
“People really don’t have a DVD player anymore,” said library employee Ciaran Disney. “Unless you have a gaming console or a Blu-ray player, but most people don’t.”
Discs do get checked out despite changes to technology, with these being the top 10 most frequently checked out items since Jan. 1, 2018, according to Library Circulation Manager, Madison Jones (Note: some films are checked out frequently for class).
- “Harry Potter” series, fantasy
- “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” comedy
- “Get Out,” thriller/horror
- “Spirited Away,” fantasy/adventure
- “Sex and the City,” romance/comedy
- “Ocean’s 3-film Collection,” crime
- “On the Waterfront,” drama/romance
- “My Neighbor Totoro,” fantasy/family
- “Game of Thrones,” fantasy/drama
- “Kaze no Tani no Naushika,” fantasy/adventure
As The Forum’s resident cinephile, here are my top 16 movies available to students in the library right now:
- “Whiplash,” drama
- “Wall-E,” family/kids
- “The Social Network,” drama/history
- “Snatch,” comedy/crime
- “Ex Machina,” thriller
- “Moonlight,” drama/LGBT
- “Se7en,” thriller
- “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” romance/action/comedy
- “Restrepo,” military documentary
- “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” drama/comedy
- “Ocean’s 11,” crime
- “Memento,” thriller
- “Mean Girls,” comedy
- “The Godfather,” drama/crime
- “The Shawshank Redemption,” drama
- “Donnie Darko,” thriller/fantasy
This list is just a handful of films available and librarians encouraged students to watch and find some new favorites. Due to popularity, many discs have multiple copies available.
Along with movies, the library offers a wide range of TV shows including, but not limited to, “Breaking Bad,” “The Office,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Simpsons” and “Dexter,” which are all available by season to binge.
As the entertainment industry transitions to streaming services, the library is a great place to start or rewatch a series that you can no longer stream on the services you may have.
“I think most people don’t realize how many great show options there are in here,” Disney said. “It really is worth taking a look at.”
The library also has collectors editions of shows like Star Trek, that come in box sets as seen in the photo.
Students should know about and take advantage of the plethora of entertainment in the Giovale Library. The library is open six days a week excluding Sunday, and more information about the library and hours can be found on the library section on the Westminster College website. Grab some movies and some popcorn and go have yourself a movie night.
