Shedding Light on Disney's Vault

The animated films from the Walt Disney Company are some of the best known and beloved of all time. These timeless classics are often shared with children by parents who originally saw and fell in love with the films as children themselves. Sales and rentals of Disney DVDs and Blu-rays are generally robust. However, finding Disney films on DVD and Blu-ray isn’t always a simple matter.

The Vault’s History
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made its theatrical debut in 1937. As an effort to raise profits during World War II, the company rereleased the film into theaters again in 1944. The success of this venture led to Disney’s policy of rereleasing their films to theaters every seven to ten years.¹

This process continued through the mid-1980s, when the burgeoning home video market offered another potential outlet for Disney films. With the release of Sleeping Beauty on VHS in 1986, Disney switched its efforts from theatrical releases to home video releases.² As the home video market has evolved from VHS to DVD and now Blu-ray, Disney has sought to replicate their strategy by limiting the length of time films are available for sale or rental, and keeping their titles on a rerelease schedule.

So What’s in There?
Films subject to Disney’s vault process are their “animated classics.” This includes a whole list of titles; notables include: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, The Fox and the Hound, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.³ Note that Pixar films (such as the Toy Story films and Finding Nemo) are not part of the vault program.

The most recent Disney releases from the vault are Beauty and the Beast and Bambi, both of which are now available on both DVD and Blu-ray.⁴ As for upcoming releases, look for a 70th Anniversary Edition of Dumbo in September, and The Lion King will be available again in October. Both titles will be available on Blu-ray for the first time in addition to their DVD versions.

Double-Edged Sword for Libraries
When a Disney film goes into the vault, it means it will be unavailable for sale or retail rental for several years. However, due to the films’ classic nature, there is always a certain level of demand, especially as parents want to show the movies to their children before their interest wanes. The library is a perfect solution to this conundrum. While Disney films are unavailable from other outlets, libraries can continue to circulate their copies during the moratorium period.

Of course, on the flip side, any copies that are lost or damaged while the film is in the vault will be unavailable for replacement. So it never hurts to keep an extra copy or two on hand in case of emergencies.

Midwest Tape will do our best to keep you informed of titles that are going into or coming out of the Disney vault. For example, in the April DVD Buyer’s Guide, we advertised three Disney titles that were about to be discontinued, along with the last date they could be ordered.

What Do You Think?
What do you think of Disney’s policy of placing films in the vault for several years? Have you noticed an increase in lending when these titles are discontinued? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

¹ http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?id=23706
² http://www.pophistorydig.com/?p=45
³ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Vault
⁴ http://disney-blog.com/?p=719

Hot This Week: May 9

Little Fockers, Adele, and Tina Fey all continue their reign at the top, while old favorites reemerge in the top ten for music, fiction, and nonfiction.

DVD

1. Little Fockers
2. Gulliver's Travels
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
4. The King's Speech
5. Tron: Legacy
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
7. Country Strong
8. Black Swan
9. The Tourist 
10. Tangled

CD

1. Adele, 21
2. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
3. Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More
4. Britney Spears, Femme Fatale
5. Lemonade Mouth (Soundtrack) 
6. Chris Brown, F.A.M.E.
7. Glee, The Music Presents: The Warblers
8. Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
9. Wiz Khalifa, Rolling Papers
10. Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What

Fiction Books

1. The Sixth Man, David Baldacci
2. The Land of Painted Caves, Jean M. Auel
3. Bel Air Dead, Stuart Woods
4. A Turn in the Road, Debbie Macomber
5. The Fifth Witness, Michael Connelly
6. Born of Shadows, Sherrilyn Kenyon
7. I'll Walk Alone, Mary Higgins Clark 
8. Chasing Fire, Nora Roberts
9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson
10. Save Me, Lisa Scottoline

Nonfiction Books

1. Bossypants, Tina Fey
2. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
3. Stories I Only Tell My Friends, Rob Lowe
4. Kaboom!, Darell Hammond
5. Liberty Defined, Ron Paul 
6. The Social Animal, David Brooks 
7. Onward, Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon
8. She Walks in Beauty, selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy 
9. All That is Bitter and Sweet, Ashley Judd with Maryanne Vollers
10. The Wizard of Lies, Diana B. Henriques

Media for Moms

Recently, April S of the Toledo Public Library posted a blog story on Movies for Mother’s Day. I love how she reminiscences about watching movies every Sunday afternoon with her own mother.

More importantly, I like the idea of giving your mother time together watching a great flick rather than just buying her a DVD for this Mother’s Day. Not to mention that it’s a great way to promote Mother’s Day-worthy movies from a library’s perspective: don’t buy a movie; check one out from your local library and watch it with your mom.

Here are the movies for Mother’s Day that April S lists:
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies
Yours, Mine and Ours
The Blind Side
Terms of Endearment
Steel Magnolias
Mrs. Miniver

I thought I’d add to this list, and detail some great albums and audiobooks to enjoy with mom—maybe while on a road trip or while spring cleaning! Be sure to recommend these great listens to your patrons eager to enjoy this weekend with their moms.

CDs
Carole King, Tapestry
Eva Cassidy, Simply Eva
Annie Lennox, The Annie Lennox Collection
Jessie J, Who You Are
Mamma Mia Soundtrack
Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
Sarah McLachlan, Surfacing
Adele, 21
Natasha Bedingfield, Pocketful of Sunshine

Audiobooks
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
Blood, Bones, & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

What are your plans for Mother’s Day? Are there any other CDs, DVDs, or audiobooks you recommend for moms?

Authors Eye New Markets

Publishers Weekly recently noted five Young Adult (YA) authors, like Melissa Marr, that are making the leap this year into “adult” fiction. Likewise, a number of adult authors, like John Grisham and James Patterson, have started to publish works aimed at young adults. So what’s with all the crossing over?



It’s no great mystery why adult writers are venturing into the teen market. Just look at the mega-success that franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight have created for authors J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. The Potter phenomenon made Rowling the first author ever to appear on Forbes’s annual billionaires list.¹ Meyer was second (to James Patterson) on Forbes’s most recent list of highest-paid authors.²



Figures show that YA lit sales are increasing and adult lit sales are declining.³ And it’s not just teens driving the YA craze. More and more, adults are picking up YA novels for themselves. So, in an odd way, adult authors are turning to young adult fiction because that’s where their own audience is.

For YA authors, it’s a slightly different story. While they’re undoubtedly interested in expanding their audience as well, it seems likely that they’ve always been interested in writing more complex stories and handling more mature themes than the traditional YA market would allow. As adult readers take an interest in YA fiction, though, they’re able to push the envelope.

What do you think of the blurred lines between teen and adult fiction? Have you noticed the crossover trend in your library? What YA titles are popular with adults, or vice versa? Let us know in the comments below.

¹ http://www.forbes.com/2004/02/26/cx_jw_0226rowlingbill04.html
² http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/19/patterson-meyer-king-business-media-highest-paid-authors.html
³ http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/08/entertainment/la-et-young-adult8-2010mar08

Hot This Week: May 2

Old favorites pop back up on the CD chart, while nonfiction and DVD lists see little change. Meanwhile, David Baldacci and Jean M. Auel battle for the top of the fiction list.

DVD

1. Little Fockers
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
3. Gulliver's Travels
4. The King's Speech
5. Tron: Legacy
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
7. Country Strong
8. Black Swan
9. The Tourist 
10. Tangled

CD

1. Adele, 21
2. Glee, The Music Presents: The Warblers
3. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
4. Lemonade Mouth (Soundtrack)
5. Britney Spears, Femme Fatale
6. Alison Krauss + Union Station, Paper Airplane
7. Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More 
8. Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What
9. Chris Brown, F.A.M.E.
10. Justin Bieber, Never Say Never: The Remixes (EP)
    

Fiction Books

1. The Sixth Man, David Baldacci
2. The Land of Painted Caves, Jean M. Auel
3. The Fifth Witness, Michael Connelly
4. Chasing Fire, Nora Roberts
5. I'll Walk Alone, Mary Higgins Clark 
6. Chasing Fire, Amanda Quick
7. Eve, Iris Johansen
8. Save Me, Lisa Scottoline
9. The Priest's Graveyard, Ted Dekker
10. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson

Nonfiction Books

1. Bossypants, Tina Fey
2. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
3. Liberty Defined, Ron Paul
4. She Walks in Beauty, selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy
5. I'm Over All That, Shirley MacLaine
6. 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read, Jesse Ventura with Dick Russell
7. The Social Animal, David Brooks
8. All That is Bitter and Sweet, Ashley Judd with Maryanne Vollers
9. Onward, Howard Schultz with Joanne Gordon
10. Idea Man, Paul Allen