NORFOLK, Va. — 20 years ago, there were around 9,000 Blockbuster video rental stores in the U.S.
Today, there is just one, located in Oregon.
But for those nostalgic for the bygone days of browsing movie aisles, there's a place right here in Virginia offering up just that.
The Naro Expanded Video rental store closed in Norfolk after 30 years in 2019. However, its vast collection of more than 43,000 films found a new home at the Perry Library on ODU's campus.
"The collection was donated to the University in around 2020 by Linda McGreevy and Tim Cooper, who were owners," said Tim Hackman, Dean of University Libraries at ODU.
The extensive collection is arranged alphabetically by category and includes films not available on streaming services.
"When I come here, I get to experience all sorts of different films that I don’t think I could get on a streaming platform," said Eben Bracy, a student.
"Having them in a physical format is, I think, still really important," Hackman said. "Not everything is on the internet, not everything is on the streaming platforms."
Some ODU students, who grew up with streaming services like Netflix, revel in the sensory and immersive experience of physically browsing movies.
"Netflix doesn't have all the features of a DVD, so being able to watch a movie and then watch every version of the commentary is super fun, and just makes for a more interactive experience," said Benji Sweeney, a student.
"You come in, you pull a show, a movie off, and you just kind of look at it and, you know, you read the back, and you get to really have a handle for it," Bracy said.
Visiting the nostalgic space can be a powerful experience.
"I can't say how amazing it is to get off of work on a Friday, go get my kid from school, bring them to a video store and rent a movie," said Kent Wascom, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. "Like, that's like, I'm gonna get choked up. It's so special."
Students and staff can check out films for free, while members of the public can pay $50 a year or $100 for a family membership to borrow up to three movies at a time.
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