I want to respect other people's copyrights but I do listen to and watch YouTube videos. I know that what started as a volunteer and free service, which made listening to artists who were not getting paid or asked permission, falls into an area of copyright that says for personal use and research or to illustrate a point, a person doesn't have to go through a permissions process. YouTube has departed into pay for play films and videos and this is a reason I fail to post many here at ANCESTRY WORSHIP - Genealogy BlogSpot. If I find an ad attached to a video, I tend to skip the ad immediately or do not watch it, searching for someone who posted not expecting financial return.
But sometimes when I'm resting, I like to listen to reruns of Who Do You Think You Are, or Louis Henry Gates Jr's series, Finding Your Roots. Not long ago I spent a Sunday morning in bed watching these videos on my cell phone. Sometimes I learn from them. Sometimes I'm compelled to watch a particular video because I like the celebrity.
I saw a blurb about Carly Simon, the singer/songwriter who is known for her own creative musical work as well as her marriage-with-children to singer/songwriter James Taylor. I've listened to her albums. I listened to her memoir on audio book. I also read a Vanity Fair magazine article long ago that suggested that there was a mystery attached to her mother's parentage. She had been told that her mother's mother was an orphan, perhaps an illegitimate member of the Spanish royal family. Simon's mother was Catholic and her father was Jewish. The not so religious family was raised in The Ethical Cultural Society (if I remember correctly). The Gates blurb suggested that the truth was her grandmother was of Cuban-African origin and the Spanish royal family connection was probably a myth. Louis Henry Gates Jr. was there telling Carly Simon that of all the white people he had tested, she had the most African DNA of all, 10%. So of course I wanted to see that show.
I learned that few of the videos are still available without paying - about $1.99 per - and was disappointed.
Yet I know I can go to my public library and find these on CD (if not electronic books) and watch them for free. What, if anything, libraries pay for these items to offer to the patron/citizens/library card holders, I do not know. I love libraries and have cards for two local cities, a county, and a state library card. These days due to all the books available as electronic books and the use of cell phones as personal computers, there is some question about the value of libraries with print/paper offerings or even the value of offering public computer use in them. At one time the libraries were full of students using these public computers to do their assignments but now children have computers at their schools or are given laptops to do their work on.
I know that librarians themselves as well as library systems with lots of property and locations are asking themselves what value they will have in the future and it seems to be working in education, in particular in reading. Hand in hand with educational programs, local libraries offer classes to help immigrants become citizens and adults learn to read. But will they really need as much staff?
In my area it seems retired librarians are working part time in the system and this is slowing the number of new librarians being hired.
At some point it's possible that a library card will entitle direct payment by the library for a patron's use of YouTube videos and other electronic offerings not available from the library.
C 2019 Ancestry Worship Genealogy
