“Wait, that checks out for free?” It’s easy to brush off the informational DVDs at the Orem Library as all documentaries. True, you will find Planet Earth, Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos,” and more Ken Burns documentaries than you can shake a stick at, but the truth is that a lot of things you wouldn’t expect to see there get classified as informational, and not many people know to look for them. Here are a few categories of items that end up in the informational section that you might otherwise miss!
Reality Television
A surprising amount of entertainment television programming is technically non-fiction! From the gritty and dangerous everyday of Dirty Jobs (331.76 D6302) and The Deadliest Catch (639.56 D3406) all the way to the supernatural in Ghost Adventures (133.122 G3465), the Orem Public Library has you covered. Check out some fun experiments and debunk urban legends on Mythbusters (507.8 M9997). No Top Gear yet, but we’re working on it!
Food and Cooking
It may fall under reality TV, but cooking shows deserve their own special mention! If you haven’t heard of it already, The Great British Baking Show, a.k.a. The Great British Bake Off (641.71 G7987) pits amateur chefs against each other in a surprisingly kind and wholesome baking competition. On the other end of the spectrum, if you want to see some restaurants you’ll never want to visit, we also have Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares (642.5 R1489). Or, for some cooking tips of your own, it’s hard to beat Good Eats with Alton Brown (641.36 G592) for both entertainment value and really solid kitchen advice. Bon appetit!
Arts and Crafts
Don’t just sit and watch, play along and get creative! Take home our perennially popular Bob Ross Complete Collection (751.4543 B6306) and have a paint night, or spend some time browsing our new Crafty collection (641.8653 C8429). With their distinctive red spine, the more than 100 different Crafty volumes cover topics in depth ranging from sketching to quilting to starting your cake business — there’s bound to be something there for you!
Performance and Concert Recordings
The Orem Public Library has a frankly stunning number of filmed live events in our collection, and since they’re public performances, they’re all considered non-fiction! Ballets, operas, and Rogers and Hammerstein musicals abound, but you can also find a couple of newer Broadway musicals like the Les Miserables 25th anniversary production (782.14 M6871). Looking for more of a concert? There are plenty of options to choose from, from Radiohead (789.6 R1188) to Pink Floyd (789.6 P566) to David Bowie (789.6 B679) to Woodstock (789.6 W868) to Miles Davis (789.55 D2957) to Scratch (789.49 Scr17), a film packed with footage of battles between old-school hip hop greats. Check our online catalog to see if we have anything from your favorite artist — you may be surprised!
Young Children’s Media
It may not be informational, but our collection of media for young children is also free! Keep your eyes open for old classics like Reading Rainbow (VY 16958/1) and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (155.413 M6918), as well as new favorites like Bluey (VY 19106/1-2)!
Written by Austin M (General Reference and Media)
