In this installment of the Pushing My Shelf blog series, Mary talks about watching a documentary from the Libraries DVD collection.
This month we thought we would do a blog series for the Push Your Shelf Bingo Challenge. The challenge is to complete Bingo squares that “push your shelf.” In other words, read or try something that you might not ordinarily consider; something not typically found on your bookshelf. Find out more here.
To cheer you on some participating staff members* are contributing short blogs that recount their experience completing a Bingo challenge and describing how that square “pushes their shelf”.
* Staff members can play. (Just not win.)
For my first BINGO challenge, I choose the block “Watch a Documentary/Nonfiction DVD.” I choose it for 2 reasons. First, I was curious as to whether my DVD player still worked. Secondly, I needed facts and ammunition to use in a debate I was having about whether cats were predators or pets. When I received a kitten for Christmas 2020, one of my teammates (Todd) criticized my Christmas gift for being a bird-killing predator.
My cat, Fiona, and I decided to get the facts from the documentary DVD, The Story of Cats. We were fascinated with all the information about where cats come from and how they have adapted to every ecosystem on this planet. The DVD had amazing pictures and video of all types of cats in action. One of the strangest was the “Fishing Cat.” They fish in shallow water and catch fish with their paws.
Cats became domesticated around 4000 years ago but became even more important to humans around 200 years ago when they started living in villages and protecting the people from rats and mice. Today the domesticated house cat is one of the most successful predatory pets on the planet.
Most of my television viewing recently is through streaming services but watching this DVD reminded me of a simpler time. Just pop it in and there you go. I do enjoy documentaries such as The Planet Earth Series (which is available at the library on DVD.) It’s a good thing to turn to when you want the facts and these days the photography is awesome.
It’s funny how using a DVD player “pushed my shelf” but my cat and I were excited that the player still worked and look forward to gathering more info for our debate as soon as we finish watching the new Ghostbusters movie!
Mary is an Information Services Assistant at the Handley Library