Dinner and a movie

This from the February 7 issue of Libewire, of the Springfield-Greene County (MO) District Library:

"'We work with such neat people and rarely get to talk to staff from other branches and I've been wanting to do this for years,' said Library Center manager Lorraine Sandstrom.

"Shell host staff from all the branches at Dinner and a Movie at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 28. A potluck dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the movie Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings at 7 p.m. on the big screen in the Library Center auditorium.

"'We are planning to show the extended version DVD - yes, all 3 1/2 hours,' said Lorraine."

Gosh, that certainly was a good idea, Lorraine, and I hope it all went well for all of you, and you didn't get a visit from the licensing police. Unless I'm wrong, tapes and DVDs are sold and licensed only for home use, at least the recent ones. If you show them to a crowd in the equivalent of a theatre, the film owners figure they aren't getting a piece of what should be an admission price.

I remember years ago a local nursing home was showing videotapes they had borrowed from the library to their residents, as a group. That was determined by those who keep track of these things for the moviemakers to be a nono, and it had to be stopped. I guess it would have been OK for one resident to see it in his/her room, maybe with a friend.

Well, anyway, Lorraine, it was a smashing idea and I hope it went well. "Neat people" don't get recognized enough. And I'm sure everyone enjoyed the food and the potluck.

Charles W. Robinson

Director Emeritus, BCPL Editor geezer@bcpl.net

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