30,000 loans a year: Why Stanton Library’s DVD collection is thriving in the age of streaming

When I first moved to Neutral Bay in 2013 and rented a two-bedroom apartment for $420 a week, I was overjoyed to discover a Blockbuster along Military Road with large World Movies and Horror sections. 

Minoring in film studies at UTS at the time, I began watching the works of David Lynch, Werner Herzog, Catherine Breillat, Francis Ford Coppola and Hayao Miyazaki, among many others. 

It was a formative time, and the sunset era of an industry: not two years later, in 2015, the Blockbuster closed down and the site is now a Chemist Warehouse. 

It felt like a loss for people like me: the era of digital streaming had taken hold and the fate of DVD rental outlets like Blockbuster and Video Ezy was sealed.

And then…

At the beginning of last year, my friend gifted me a DVD player after she realised I’d not had home Wi-Fi since my housemate moved out. I’d been hotspotting in order to stream movies and TV shows, and chalked up that particular decision to the rising cost of living. 

But a DVD player required DVDs, and so I started to browse the collection at North Sydney’s Stanton Library like I used to browse the shelves of Blockbuster.

I couldn’t believe my luck at what was available - and free!

This is more than just nostalgia: the ritual has saved me money on streaming service subscriptions, while meaning I don’t have to miss out on the good stuff. And I wasn’t alone.

A North Sydney Council spokesperson told the North Shore Lorikeet that, despite the rise of streaming, Stanton Library still has a strong demand for its DVD collection.

“In 2023–2024, the collection recorded nearly 30,000 loans, with a strong turnover rate of 3.8. Over 58% of these were borrowed by seniors, highlighting the ongoing importance of physical media - especially for those who face barriers to digital access.”

A cost-effective ritual

The ritual of choosing a pile of movies to work through over a few weeks became important to me, and still is. It’s about continuing the spirit of a more intentional relationship to media after years of choice paralysis in the face of endless options .

All my friends will tell you that watching The Sopranos from start to finish last year (for the first time!) was a regular topic of spirited conversation. Spending time with Tony was - perhaps perversely - something I really looked forward to after a difficult day. Each episode felt like a self-contained masterpiece (especially Pine Barrens, right?).

I would have had to pay around $120 on Binge to watch The Sopranos in the timeframe I did; instead, I loaned it season by season, free of charge, and enjoyed the special features as I went along.

Bridging gaps

North Sydney Council cites the cost of streaming as just one of the reasons for the popularity of their DVD collection.

“Not everyone has the means, confidence or reliable internet to use streaming platforms. Our DVD collection helps bridge that gap, ensuring all community members - particularly older residents and those on fixed incomes - can enjoy quality films, TV series and documentaries.”

I’ve also become adept at sleuthing through the online catalogue to request what I want from my watchlist from other north shore libraries. Known together as Shorelink, they comprise Mosman, North Sydney and Lane Cove libraries.

The Shorelink collection also contains movies not available on streaming. Reading a book about Eastern European history recently, the author recommended the Cristian Mungiu film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days - and it wasn’t available on streaming in Australia, but it was on the shelves at Stanton.

Once, as I was halfway through watching - and enjoying - the Cormoran Strike series, it disappeared without warning from Binge. I found it at the library.

Ongoing viability

The library partners with the streaming service Beamafilm, so if you have a library card, you can stream its titles for free too. 

I’m glad to know the process of discovering now-favourite movies (Antonioni’s Red Desert, Jane Campion’s Holy Smoke!) and deepening my sense of history (French documentary The Sorrow and the Pity, Ken Loach’s The Wind that Shakes the Barley) has also supported the ongoing viability of my local library’s DVD collection. 

Thankfully, there are no signs of the collection sharing the fate of your local Blockbuster. 

“Public libraries play a vital role in supporting digital inclusion and equitable access. Our DVD collection is just one of the many ways we support that mission,” said a council spokesperson.

“We continually review our collections to reflect community needs, and our strong DVD loan rates show this format still has a valued place in our service.”

Long may it continue, and if you’ve got any recommendations, I’m all ears.

Image Credit: North Sydney Council, Unsplash