What's the consensus on those "gatefold"  cases that are part plastic,part paper,that have a plastic tray inside for the CD?I don't know what they are called,but they seem very poorly designed to me.
 
The cardboard covers you speak of are no doubt the ones called "mini LP covers".It can be difficult to get the CDs in and out of these covers.I think a big attraction of these for labels is they are very cheap to produce. I know a lot of CD collectors who do not store their CDs in the original cases,no matter what the design.The discs are all stored in envelopes with plastic widows and flaps,with the envelopes inside soft plastic pouches.
 
CDs are actually as brittle as LPs,if not moreso.Like styrene 45s,CDs crack,very easily.Especially when removing the disc from the center hub.I have seen this too many times.
 
Speaking of libraries,what are libraries,especially public libraries,going to do, when the CD is no longer a mass produced item,but a high priced niche product for audiophiles and collectors?This is definitely where all physical media is headed.
 
Roger
 
 
> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:45:04 +0200
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Jewel cases
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
> Agreed
> בתאריך 30/03/14 11:15 PM, ציטוט Tom Fine:
> > The big problem with the original jewel case design was using 
> > hard/brittle plastic. All of the librarians on this list know what I'm 
> > talking about. The jewel cases don't stand up to hard use like library 
> > circulation. The Gaylord cases, made of soft plastic, are much better. 
> > However, they are more expensive than commodity-priced jewel cases. I 
> > for one do not like cardboard slip-covers for CDs. They don't protect 
> > the disc surface well (neither do jewel cases that have been mangled).
> >
> > The SACD-style jewel cases have a more rigorous center-spindle holder, 
> > so they are probably less likely to get broken in that place from 
> > heavy use. However, they still have brittle plastic hinges, and that 
> > is a prime weak spot in the design.
> >
> > I have offered, several times, to do a free seminar for librarians in 
> > the local county-wide library system, about proper handling and care 
> > of CDs and DVDs. No takers. I guess it's cheaper to replace broken 
> > ones (or just keep them in circulation) than to get educated and 
> > educate patrons about proper handling. Of course, the record companies 
> > did a bad job on this from day 1 by saying CDs were "more robust" than 
> > LPs. They're not except in very specific cases like straight-line 
> > center-to-edge scratches.
> >
> > With so many titles going out of print on CD, and with budgets tight, 
> > libraries should strive to take better care of their media assets, and 
> > insist that patrons do, too.
> >
> > -- Tom Fine
> 
> -- 
> Cheers
> Shai Drori
> Timeless Recordings
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