Midwest Tape Offers Free Educational Webinars

What are Midwest Tape webinars?
Our webinars are educational, interactive seminars presented via the web. Midwest Tape provides webinars on a monthly basis, each focusing on a particular service, online or electronic ordering tool, acquisitions process, or industry/library trend.

Learn about Processing: VIP

Variable Integrated Processing (VIP) uses digital imaging technology to generate product artwork incorporating all of your labels, perfectly placed every time. Midwest Tape provides VIP for the exclusive use of our customers. This innovative program allows us to offer customized and attractive packaging while eliminating the need for additional labels.

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VIP allows libraries to specifically customize each title, depending on your library’s needs.

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No more stickers! Through VIP processing, we place labels perfectly, giving your products a consistent, attractive appearance. Additionally, because we incorporate your library’s information directly into the artwork, your products not only uphold a branded look, but also ensure theft deterrence.

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For help choosing what VIP process would best suit your library or for any questions regarding Midwest Tape’s processing services, please contact your Midwest Tape processing representative at 800.875.2785.

Processing is part of our Workflow Solutions services. To learn more about Workflow Solutions, start the setup process, or view samples, download our no-obligation Workflow Solutions brochure. You can also learn more by clicking the “Workflow Solutions” link under “SERVICES” on our homepage. 

Avatar Announced for April Release in Rental and Retail Editions

Fox Home Video will release Avatar on April 22, 2010 in both Blu-ray and DVD rental and retail editions. Because of the importance of this title to our customers, we’ve compiled this document highlighting the differences one can expect between these two editions. The main differences affect cataloging, availability before street date, and pricing.

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Content and Cataloging Concerns
In an online blog post, the Wall Street Journal (2010) quoted James Cameron as saying “‘We’ll do the Blu-ray and the standard def DVD April 22nd, that’s our plan as of right now, and that’ll be pretty much bare bones. And then we’ll do a value-added DVD and a 3-D Blu-ray in I think November sometime.’” Customers concerned about missing out on key bonus features in rental editions should be aware that these features are being reserved for a later special edition release. Furthermore, the rental edition is the same edition offered by NetFlix, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and other home video rental businesses.

Additionally, customers who prefer to select retail editions to avoid duplicate catalog records should be aware that both the retail and rental editions of Avatar will only be available for 60 days before Fox cancels them in preparation for the November special edition release.

Street Date Delivery and Pricing
Midwest Tape can only guarantee pre-street date delivery of the rental edition of Avatar. To ensure timely delivery and order fulfillment, we strongly urge libraries to order the rental edition of this title. Midwest Tape will ship all orders on a first come, first serve basis.

Large retailers, like Wal-Mart and Target, have “imposed strict limits on the number of [retail edition] DVDs any one customer can buy at a time, making it harder for movie-rental kiosks such as Coinstar’s (CSTR) Redbox to get their hands on large numbers of newly released discs” (BusinessWeek, 2010). Due to reduced supply caused by these factors, customers who choose to order the retail edition should do so as early as possible because fulfillment of retail edition orders cannot be guaranteed.

In addition to the decreased supply, these limitations have lead to increased costs for library vendors who attempt to supply their customers with retail editions, leading some to discontinue the practice. Midwest Tape has decided to continue to offer our customers the retail edition, but it has become necessary to increase the cost of Fox retail titles by an average of $4–$5 per title. Essentially, we are buying indirectly to supply our customers with Fox retail DVDs.

We first tackled Fox’s retail/rental plan in an October News and Views story: 20th Century Fox Distributing Rental Editions of DVD Titles. Paramount also implemented a rental/retail DVD strategy in 2009: Paramount Experiments with Two-Tiered Pricing on Upcoming DVD Releases.

The pricing increase will be applied to all Fox retail DVDs announced after March 15, 2010. Retail editions announced before March 15, Fox rental editions, and standard releases will not be affected.

We appreciate your understanding in this matter. Please contact Customer Service at 800.875.2785 with any questions. You can also post feedback and questions here as comments.

Additional Reading

• Wall Street Journal: James Cameron on the Coming DVD Release of ‘Avatar’
• cNet News: Cameron pegs 'Avatar' to 3D Blu-ray in November, Fox denies
• BusinessWeek: Wal-Mart, Target Put Squeeze on Redbox
• Variety: Retailers take aim at Redbox
• Entertainment Weekly: 'Avatar' DVD to hit stores on April 22 (Earth Day)

Learn About Processing: Locks and Cases

Did you know that the new Playaway case is compatible with the DVD one-time locking system? In fact, Midwest Tape offers a variety of security options to help you protect your investments. For a minimal charge, Midwest Tape can install locking systems in your DVDs, CDs, and Playaways, so your collections are secure and shelf-ready as soon as they ship.

Here are just a few types of locking mechanisms Midwest Tape has to offer:

 DVD One-Time                   DVD DiscMate                Secure Case II

Red Tag                                         Benefit Denial Case

For help choosing between locking systems or for any questions regarding Midwest Tape’s processing services, please contact your Midwest Tape processing representative at 800.875.2785.

Processing is part of our Workflow Solutions services. To learn more about Workflow Solutions, start the setup process, or view samples, download our no-obligation Workflow Solutions brochure. You can also learn more by clicking the “Workflow Solutions” link under “SERVICES” on our homepage.

Which locking systems do you think are most effective? Share your thoughts and experiences here as comments.

Learn About Processing: Hub Labels

For several years, Midwest Tape has offered customized hub labels (sometimes referred to as ‘donuts’) for CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks. In years past, Midwest Tape’s hub labels were made out of adhesive paper. More recently, however, Midwest Tape has replaced paper labels with more durable vinyl labels. These vinyl labels are virtually impossible to rip and are made to better withstand casual wear and tear.

Gone are the days of handwriting information around disc hubs. With Midwest Tape’s customized hub labels, libraries can have names, initials, branches, and barcodes printed on each disc. For a minimal fee, these printed labels will give your products an attractive, professional appearance, thus enhancing your library’s brand.

For help choosing hub label options or for any questions regarding Midwest Tape processing services, please contact your Midwest Tape processing representative at 800.875.2785.

Processing is part of our Workflow Solutions services. To learn more about Workflow Solutions, start the setup process, or view samples, download our no-obligation Workflow Solutions brochure. You can also learn more by clicking the “Workflow Solutions” link under “SERVICES” on our homepage.

Does your library use hub labels? How has it aided your workflows?
Share your experiences and feedback here as comments.

Learn About Processing: RFID Tagging

What are RFID Tags?

Radio-Frequency Identification tags are small electronic devices that consist of a chip and an antenna, which are applied to or incorporated into a product for the purpose of identification, tracking, and/or theft deterence.¹

Two Types of RFID Tags

RFID and Libraries

In the last decade, RFID tags have increased in popularity in a number of arenas, including retail stores, public transportation systems, and livestock inventory. Libraries have also made use of RFID tags. Initially used to provide security and theft deterrence, RFID tags can also be used to link a product to its barcode and issuing library. RFID tags have simplified library inventory management, too. Now, rather than scanning products in and out one at a time with traditional barcodes, librarians can scan an entire stack of products in one fell swoop.²

RFID and Midwest Tape

Midwest Tape can apply RFID tags for any system for a minimal charge. In addition, we can activate or link tags for the following four systems:

• Checkpoint Systems
• 3M
• Envisionware
• Tech Logic

For help choosing RFID options or for any questions regarding Midwest Tape processing services, please contact your Midwest Tape processing representative at 800.875.2785.

Processing is part of our Workflow Solutions services. To learn more about Workflow Solutions, start the setup process, or view samples, download our no-obligation Workflow Solutions brochure. You can also learn more by clicking the “Workflow Solutions” link under “SERVICES” on our homepage.

Does your library use RFID tagging? How has it aided your workflows? Share your experiences and feedback here as comments.