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College Readiness for Rural Youth is an innovative, postsecondary education bridge program that gives youth the opportunity to explore college attainability, admissions, financial aid, and application processes. The initiative aims to support academic success and transition to college for rural youth.

Discussion of laser videodiscs for library collections covers selection, finding reviews, suppliers, cost, preservation, and security. Sidebars define laserdisc terms and list several recommended titles. (MES)

It's been over a year since Blu-ray defeated HD-DVD in the battle of high-definition discs. Despite the economic crunch, Blu-ray is continuing to gain momentum in the consumer and library markets. It is seeing broader adoption owing to several factors. According to an April 2009 Harris Interactive poll, 12 percent of public libraries and 11 percent of academic libraries currently circulate Blu-ray discs--up from three percent and two percent, respectively, in 2008. Of those not currently carrying Blu-ray, 48 percent expect "definitely" and 85 percent expect "probably" to add Blu-ray to their collections. For libraries still slow to give up VHS, the transition to yet another format may seem daunting and may not even be necessary for many libraries. This article presents reports from a selection of libraries that have adopted the format. A brief on Blu-ray technology is also offered.

Discusses DVD (digital video disc) technology and considers its future possibilities. Highlights include laserdiscs, DVDs in academic-library collections, public-library experiences with DVDs, and problems with changes in video formats and technological obsolescence. (LRW)