2018 School Spending Survey Report
The Best Videos of 2023 | Documentaries
Documentary films are a unique visual outlet for creative nonfiction, journalism, memoir, history, and more. Our list of the best documentaries released on DVD/Blu-ray in 2023 explores topics as diverse as sports and space.
Chop & Steele. 82 min. Drafthouse Films. 2022. DVD UPC 1010368974. $26.99.
Humorous documentaries are uncommon. This one will put a smile on faces as a pair of comedians, Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, create a ridiculous “strongman” act that they put on to deceive local morning news shows across the country, with hilarious and litigious results.
Close to Vermeer. 78 min. Kino Lorber. In Dutch w/English subtitles. 2023. DVD UPC 3832926327. $19.99.
Go behind the scenes at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam for an extremely popular exhibition of paintings by Johannes Vermeer. Every facet of Vermeer’s life and work is discussed in what feels like a deeply enjoyable art history class.
Dear Mr. Brody. 98 min. Greenwich Entertainment. 2021. DVD UPC 3832926191. $19.99.
Watch a quirky bit of American history in this story of a 21-year-old hippie millionaire who in 1970 promises to give away $25 million. Thousands write in, desperate to get the money. Meeting the letter writers five decades later provides emotional heft.
The League. 104 min. Magnolia Pictures. 2023. DVD UPC 7696401798. $26.99.
A detailed and lively history of pro baseball’s Negro Leagues, from the 19th century through their heyday in the 1940s. This important and enlightening sports history also investigates the Negro Leagues’ power and legacy within Black communities.
New Eye on the Universe: The James Webb Space Telescope. 55 min. PBS. 2023. DVD UPC 4188704742. $24.99.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope can look deeper into space than any other in history. In this stunning film, scientists attempt to unravel the vast amount of information that the telescope provides while also explaining the data for viewers.
Nothing Compares. 95 min. Showtime. 2022. DVD UPC 1010368654. $26.99.
This riveting examination of the early, controversial years of the late Irish musical artist Sinéad O’Connor is both an explanation of her actions and a loving validation of her powerful music.
Ruthless: Monopoly’s Secret History. 60 min. PBS. 2023. DVD UPC 4188704746. $24.99.
A lively history recounting the popularity and origins of one of the United States’ favorite board games. Part rambunctious detective story, part courtroom battle, with doses of pop culture and social commentary about capitalism; Monopoly players will never feel quite the same about the game after watching.
Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb. 114 min. Sony Picture Classics. 2022. DVD UPC 043396632110. $28.99.
This thoughtful and intelligent film is an up-close and erudite look into the six-decade working relationship of writer Robert Caro and editor Robert Gottlieb, exploring their art, their partnership, and the books they’ve produced, including The Power Broker and a five-volume LBJ biography.
Whaam! Blam! Roy Lichtenstein and the Art of Appropriation. 78 min. Virgil Films. 2022. DVD UPC 2956714032. $19.99.
Roy Lichtenstein, a 1960s Pop Art legend, gets a reappraisal through the hazy, complicated lens of artistic appropriation versus theft. Many of his multimillion-dollar paintings are near copies of drawings by comic book artists who were never compensated for their influence on his work.
Your Brain. 110 min. PBS. 2023. DVD UPC 4188704766. $24.99.
Neuroscientists attempt to understand and explain how the brain works while also showing examples of how it affects perception, reality, and the confounding enigma of consciousness in this fascinating two-part series.
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In an article appearing in a copy of The Education Digest (1994), Neil Postman makes the following observation in his article, "Technology as Dazzling Distraction" (1994, pgs. 25- 28):
"What we too easily call "progress" is always problematic- technology is always a Faustian bargain. It giveth and it taketh away."
In this instance, most college and university libraries took the lead for online journals and other electronic resource as cost effective in dollars and storage space. After 27 years of this experiment, colleges and university libraries are suffering with the insatiable appetite of online data base subscriptions. The loss of access to online resources would impact both intellectual and social cost for students, faculty, and communities at large (including K-12, public, and private libraries).
For example, most databases include hundreds of titles. All database titles may not be of interest to university library patrons; however, subscription services require an 'annual' purchase of all titles within the database (or most). This expenditure accounts for a substantial percentage of a library’s budget
An unlikely solution to this never-ending cycle of increased subscription fees would suggest the cancellation of subscriptions. To do so would result in a loss of patrons’ access to online resources because the need for print journals and research was (is) considered antiquated. So, the cycle continues- the Faustian bargain is in full-affect. Continuous payments for something you will never own.
Why? Non-renewal of database subscriptions would result in limited access (if any) to library specific data. Library/university faculty/staff use this information to informed decision-making regarding circulation trends, collection development activities, and special interest/needs of all students.
As we reassess all aspects of university library life after the pandemic, the importance of a balanced collection of both print and non-print resources will ensure that all students become critical thinkers, avid readers, skillful researchers, and ethical user of information (AASL, 2009). And a balanced, fully funded, up to date collection of both print and non-print resources will ensure that quality resources will be available to all patrons during times of budgetary constraints.
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This is a disaster. A budget cut is one thing, but gutting a library is absurd.
undefined says
I'd like to know if they are putting some of those budget cuts towards lower tuitions. Everyone knows that student debt is a major crisis. The universities should be addressing this by making tuition more affordable. While the library should not be the sole target, cutting costs to lower student debt would be a commendable goal.
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