Be Kind; Rewind! (Re)Introducing Fun Retro Media and Vintage Technology to Libraries
Shows how to reintroduce old technology to create new and exciting programming and collections for your library.

Let's face it, new physical media is disappearing, and digital reigns. New film, music, and video game releases will eventually be digital—only. To move forward, libraries need to look backward.

Old technology offers an exciting and diverse landscape for programs and lending collections. There are more retro video games available than anyone could play. Many films only exist on VHS. Music CDs, cassettes, vinyl, and 8—tracks offer B—sides and songs that don't appear on streaming music platforms. Retro computers provide access to games and software that will not run on modern computers. DVDs and Blu—ray discs will even be considered retro media. The future for libraries is in preserving and providing access to the past.

In this fun, concise handbook, Christopher Kincaid tackles the appeal and challenges these vintage media pose for circulation. He offers programming ideas to introduce and rekindle interest in old technology and provides lists and suggestions to help you get started building your vintage technology collections. When word gets out about your new (old) library collection, you never know who might stop by!

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Be Kind; Rewind! (Re)Introducing Fun Retro Media and Vintage Technology to Libraries
Shows how to reintroduce old technology to create new and exciting programming and collections for your library.

Let's face it, new physical media is disappearing, and digital reigns. New film, music, and video game releases will eventually be digital—only. To move forward, libraries need to look backward.

Old technology offers an exciting and diverse landscape for programs and lending collections. There are more retro video games available than anyone could play. Many films only exist on VHS. Music CDs, cassettes, vinyl, and 8—tracks offer B—sides and songs that don't appear on streaming music platforms. Retro computers provide access to games and software that will not run on modern computers. DVDs and Blu—ray discs will even be considered retro media. The future for libraries is in preserving and providing access to the past.

In this fun, concise handbook, Christopher Kincaid tackles the appeal and challenges these vintage media pose for circulation. He offers programming ideas to introduce and rekindle interest in old technology and provides lists and suggestions to help you get started building your vintage technology collections. When word gets out about your new (old) library collection, you never know who might stop by!

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Be Kind; Rewind! (Re)Introducing Fun Retro Media and Vintage Technology to Libraries

Be Kind; Rewind! (Re)Introducing Fun Retro Media and Vintage Technology to Libraries

by Christopher Kincaid
Be Kind; Rewind! (Re)Introducing Fun Retro Media and Vintage Technology to Libraries

Be Kind; Rewind! (Re)Introducing Fun Retro Media and Vintage Technology to Libraries

by Christopher Kincaid

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Overview

Shows how to reintroduce old technology to create new and exciting programming and collections for your library.

Let's face it, new physical media is disappearing, and digital reigns. New film, music, and video game releases will eventually be digital—only. To move forward, libraries need to look backward.

Old technology offers an exciting and diverse landscape for programs and lending collections. There are more retro video games available than anyone could play. Many films only exist on VHS. Music CDs, cassettes, vinyl, and 8—tracks offer B—sides and songs that don't appear on streaming music platforms. Retro computers provide access to games and software that will not run on modern computers. DVDs and Blu—ray discs will even be considered retro media. The future for libraries is in preserving and providing access to the past.

In this fun, concise handbook, Christopher Kincaid tackles the appeal and challenges these vintage media pose for circulation. He offers programming ideas to introduce and rekindle interest in old technology and provides lists and suggestions to help you get started building your vintage technology collections. When word gets out about your new (old) library collection, you never know who might stop by!


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9798216195238
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 02/05/2026
Pages: 104
Product dimensions: 6.15(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Christopher Kincaid has worked in public service, from retail to librarianship, for over 25 years. In his library, he started a retro video—game lending collection and learned the dos and don'ts the hard way. Before becoming a librarian, he explored computer animation, web development, and video game development. For over 10 years he's written about video games, anime, and the communities that surround them. When he isn't writing, you can find him playing video games, drawing, or getting lost in a forest.

Table of Contents

1. Pressing Pause on New Media
2. What Vintage Tech Should I Dumpster Dive For?
Simple Collections
Intermediate Collections
Involved Collections
3. We Threw Out Everything Decades Ago! Where Can I Find That Retro Tech Dumpster?
Selecting for Simple Collections
Investigating Intermediate Collections
Evolving Involved Collections
Collection Logistics
Other Retro Tech
4. Please Be Kind. Rewind!
But What About Vintage Tech? Won't Interest Expire?
What Tech Should Be Circulated and What Should Be In—housed?
5. Ye Olde New Technology Programming

Appendix A: Starting Retro Video Game Collections
Nintendo (NES)
Super Nintendo (SNES)
Sega Genesis
Game Boy / Game Boy Color (GB / GBC)
Game Boy Advance (GBA)
Nintendo 64 (N64)
Nintendo GameCube
PlayStation (PS1)
PlayStation 2 (PS2)
PlayStation 3 (PS3)
Xbox
Xbox 360
Appendix B: A Few Trees of the Vintage Computer Forest
Apple II
MS—DOS
Windows

Index

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