Looking for Videos for Library Programs

Hello!

I run a non-profit library. Our budget is tight and we're trying to do more programs. With a tight budget, we don't have much funds for presenters and don't have a lot of time for staff to prepare either.

I recently had an idea to find videos from various experts on topics that might interest our community. Primarily I'm interested in ones I can purchase (on DVD), but other methods (such as flash drives or watching on YouTube) are fine as well.

I purchased Marjorie Wildcraft's DVD How To Grow Half Your Own Food for this purpose.

I personally have an interest in permaculture and think programs on this would be interesting, but I'm interested in pretty much anything that a group of people might find interesting and want to come to a program. Finances, crafts, skills, dogs, trees, gaming, history, child rearing, etc.

Can you recommend any videos that might make a good program for a library?

Thanks!
Becky

(In case anyone is wondering, I would need to get public usage rights to play it in a library. Which I would reach out to the creator of the video to get before purchasing.)

I would recommend looking at some of the podcasts in the Podcast Forum:

https://permies.com/f/313/podcasts

Also, the Digital Market Place Forum:

https://permies.com/f/323/digital-market

Then the Digital Market which has several forums included:

https://permies.com/c/29

I am confident that you will find something of interest.

Thanks, Anne!

I don’t think a podcast would work for a library program. I think we need that visual.

I’ve seen the links to a variety of how-to videos. They look interesting to me, but I can’t purchase them all to see what would be good, so that’s why I’m asking for recommendations.

Also, looking for that “specific-but-not-too-specific” category. Anything like homesteading, raising chickens, etc., would obviously only appeal to a certain subset of the population. But hopefully enough that we’d get a few dozen at a program. Something like building a rocket heater… might not be broad enough appeal, especially at first. Maybe if we build up that audience.

I’d love to hear if you have any specific recommendations for such a situation.

My desktop computer has no sound so I don't watch videos.

I did find several via the links that I gave you that look really interesting.  When I read about them they are ebook downloads so maybe they will not work for you.

This forum also has several listed though I don't know if they will turn out to be "downloads", also:

https://permies.com/f/84/videos

Is your library connected to Kanopy? It's a streaming website service that I learned of and joined through my local library. It allows library card-holders to watch films, Great Courses, documentaries, and episodes of PBS shows like NOVA, for no charge.

www.kanopy.com

I imagine (though this is pure speculation) it wouldn't be difficult for an affiliated library to be able to stream films via Kanopy for a class or a discussion group. I would hope that licensing restrictions wouldn't be an issue for a non-profit, member library.

Stephen, no Kanopy. Again, we're a very poor library. We cannot afford streaming to offer to our patrons. Good idea, though!

https://www.farmingsecrets.com/6-must-watch-regenerative-documentaries-for-soil-lovers-globally/


The videos in the above list are great!

I also recently saw Following Seas--not permie related but a really inspirational story of a family that threw convention to the wind.

After watching it we went on the hunt for other profile documentaries of really interesting people. Of course, there is the classic, In Grave Danger of Falling Food about Bill Mollison,
And a PBS Documentary called Aldo Leopold: Learning From the Land was really interesting. PBS has quite a few things you could add to your collection and I believe they have library pricing on DVD orders?

As for things you can watch online, the DW Documentary Channel is a good source https://www.youtube.com/c/DWDocumentary
They also have a lot of their films available in Spanish https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1GpKa15ulyoQuxz7H4rng if you have Spanish speakers in your area.

Hi Becky,
I do similar programs at my library in Montana--am planning on a summer of homesteading during 2023.
Some of the ideas I have tossing around are:
Composting basics
Cheese Making
Raising Chickens
How to butcher
solar panel basics
beekeeping

I'm not sure where you are located, but many of these programs I have sourced for free from knowledgeable individuals who were happy to come in and spread knowledge or drum up business for themselves and their farms.

On another note, many of the videos you are thinking about presenting would fall under "educational" and do not necessarily need to be licensed to present at the library.

107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include-

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.