Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    
    The Instant Replay in Waltham (winter street exit off rt 128 (Mass.))
    has a large number of cd's for rent (as well as video tapes and
    Laser Videodiscs).  The rates are $3 for a three day CD rental.  There's
    also a seven day rental period.
                          
    They let you apply the rental cost to the purchase, and they discount
    the sale of the rental copies.  They have a good size selection,
    but unfortunately, the rock section is kind of biased to the 
    buyer's taste.
    
    I think renting is cool too, and I record on my hi-fi vcr as well;
    but usually if I like it well enough to tape, I want to buy it.
                                                                
    There needs to be a way to audition a disc rather than gamble so
    much money to try something new.  They used to have listening booths
    in record stores 20 years ago.  This is a reasonable alternative.
    
    Fredric Certo        DVINCI::CERTO

    What is the name of the video store in Derry, NH?

	They're being rented at DIAL DRUG on Chrystal Ave.
	In order to rent them, you have to be a member of their club which
	will cost you .99 for a six month membership.

	- Mike

    The selection is not so big, but you can borrow them for free for
    a week from the Nashua library.
    
    Burns
    

    
    "Sights and Sounds" on 101A in Amherst, NH  is a combination CD/Movie
    rental store.  Free club memberships and regular rental @ $1.99.
    However, they have a card that you can buy that reduces the rental
    charge to $ .99  Not a bad deal considering that they have all the
    latest CD releases.

CD's are also available at the Acton, MA, public library.  According to
the librarian, they're a hot item.  Not surprising.  At (still) 16 bucks a
pop you can't afford to experiment much.

Jeff Barry
    

re .7

The public library CHARGES?!?

They're free in Acton and Lexington.  Two week check-out time.

/john

    50p per CD/Week enables them to get a large stock at low price to
    the consumer.
    
    Why not?

                It is my understanding that the US custom of Libraries
        being "free" (we do charge fines for overdue and get goverment
        monies and even some private money) is not the "norm" for the
        rest of the world. One more bennie of being in the US that most
        of us take for granted!
                
                /s/     Bob

    Depends on wether you prefer to pay for services that you use (and
    not for those that you don't) as opposed to larger taxes for everyone.
    
    Also, some charge would probably moderate demand (people do suprising
    things when told that somethings free!)
    
    wrh
    

>    Also, some charge would probably moderate demand (people do suprising
>    things when told that somethings free!)

That's one of the two main reasons that U.S. libraries ARE free; to stimulate 
demand, thus educating the citizen and broadening their horizons.  The other 
main reason is as a consideration to poor people who could not afford the 
luxury of metered library service.


				Mark

Easy, John.  Many public libraries levy a small charge for checking out
the Bestsellers.  It encourages people to read them and get them back
quickly for the next person on the list.  Given the popularity of the
CD collection, it would be logical for some libraries (even in the US!
;-)) to do the same.  Sounds very sensible to me.

dcl

    re:.13
    
    Most libraries I know of allow people to borrow new books for
    only one week, rather than the usual two-four weeks, so quick
    return is not an issue.
    
    re:.12
    
    Your comment about libraries being free so as to allow access
    by the poor are true. Of course, this isn't particularly rele-
    vant regarding CD's, since a poor person is unlikely to have
    a CD player.
    
    Actually, given the budgetary problems of a lot of public
    libraries, I approve of the idea of them charging a moderate
    fee for rental of CD's if the fees are then applied specifically
    toward the purchase of more CD's.
    
    --- jerry

>    Your comment about libraries being free so as to allow access
>    by the poor are true. Of course, this isn't particularly rele-
>    vant regarding CD's, since a poor person is unlikely to have
>    a CD player.
    
I don't know, CD players are getting so cheap now, that even poor people can
afford them! What the poor people can't afford is discs :-)!

    RE: .16
    
    	C'mon people let's use some taste when we're making replies!
    
    							-rjk

    re.16
    When making the reply in .16 I dident re-read for the chance
    my reply could be mis-understood. My remark was with good humor
    in mind. I apologize for any offence that may have been taken
    by the readers of this file.
    
    -j
    

Another person's opinion:

Remember, CD's are not completely indestructable and certainly are not theft-
proof.  I don't mind at all that I get charged 25 cents a week at my local 
library for checking out a CD, knowing that the collection is growing very
rapidly and damaged and missing titles are replaced on a timely basis.

Tom

    I've gotten at least 100 CD's from the libraries here in Minneapolis
    and have only had one that was scratched and wouldn't play
    properly.  
    
    Its a great way to try music and composers I wouldn't normally buy
    without hearing.  
    
    Dave P

    
    	It seems .16 was hidden by the mod.  WHY?
    
    	The author has a reply in .18, so it would seem the author
    has not hidden the reply.
    
    Why does the mod. feel the people who read this file are so feable
    minded as to not take what is said at face value, now we can only
    dream about what is said.
    
    reminds me very much of "1984"
    
    Maybe this note should be set hidden so that nobody else reads it?
    
    Peter
    

    
    I (the ex-moderator) set .16 hidden because I got many (>5) mail
    message from people who were upset and/or offended by the contents
    of it.
    
    Rather than blatantly delete someone else's note, I set it hidden.
    This still allows the original author to see/delete it.  Which the
    original author chose to do.
    
    These are not 1984 style tactics, but tactics meant to keep this
    notesfile's appeal for the greater percentage of it's participants.
    
    If those who were offended complained on OTHER levels, we could've
    lost the whole notesfile.  This has happened in the past, and I
    prefer the hidden/delete method to losing the whole notesfile.
    
    								-rjk

    
    
    	Thank you for the explaination.  As I see, you need not give
    any explaination, so I do appreciate the response.  I would never
    have guessed more than five people complained.  I am surprized they
    did not reply to the reply.  I see this type of action as
    sibling 'telling daddy' on the author, insted of working out problems
    in an open forum, but I guess everyone has their way.
    
    Thanks again,
    
    Peter
    

    
    RE: .-1
    
    	Two people sent me mail and were visibly upset by what was in
    the note.  Three or four others sent mail that said that perhaps
    the note was in poor taste.
    
    	I do think that by contacting me (the moderator) they handled
    this well.  They also sent the same mail to the original author.
    Thus they made their opinion known to me and the original author.
    I hid the note (actually I was using this as a ploy to try and de-
    cide how to handle this), and the original author deleted it and
    sent apologies to the people who were upset.
    
    	Thus, it was handled within the context of the CD notesfile.
    It may not have been dragged out for public outcry here in the
    notesfile but it was handled well.
    
    	Anyway, I think this topic's beat, let's get back to the subject
    at hand -- CD's.
    
    	Thank you, and good day ...
    
    							-rjk