The Good Library Blog

How to insult an "irascible and irrational" independent bookseller - well mention Amazon !!

Jeezh, Tim where on earth are you coming from.

If you honestly believe that Amazon data is accurate then you are mighty mistaken. Amazon made the decision to use a widget no (ISBN) : for pre-ISBN (oop)titles they used an "assigned" BASIN number. The sensible way was to use a search text file so that what was catalogued in the inventory upload appeared on line. I have never listed anything for sale on Amazon but as a shareowner in a co-operative multi-dealer international internet listing service TomFolio , which is in direct competition with your beloved Abe I watch on-line developments.

Even though Amazon are my competitor you suggest that I should install a customer terminal so that in-store browsers can wander the wonder world of the muddy Basin. Perhaps I am baulking a little, but really Tim I run a commercial business not a charity which is funded by some quirky altruist !!

Amazon have designs on library book supply : there are some very strange happenings in publisher supply and terms to at least one wholesaler which supplies the independent booktrade.

Furthermore, you wrote
>>It would be good to have dedicated Amazon search terminals in libraries from which you could request the book to be loaned to you - or even order it to buy and collect from the library.<<

Excuse me Tim, there are *real* independent bookshops which will often get most titles delivered the next working day.

Also, you now expect libraries to act as Post Offices and hold (Amazon) packages for users ; strange world.

We clearly live in very different worlds.

A decent, well-written open-source catalogue software package could integrate all the Amazon functionality and much more, as well as enabling a simple and fault-free computerised nationwide ILL system too...

...but, of course, councils are restrained by the laughably misnamed 'best value' policies to lay down and ask software suppliers to financially rape them for poorly maintained ancient systems, complete with maintainance contracts that are primarily designed to keep cash flowing into the coffers of a company who are still peddling decades old bug-ridden code with all the ergonomics of Soviet-era kitchen appliances.

If UK libraries ditched all their big-name PC operating systems, server software and so on, replaced it all with Linux, open-source applications and a couple of skilled code-geeks, they'd have money to swim in. But because the government believes that the best way to know you're getting a good deal is by the number of zeroes to the left of the decimal point of the yearly bill, we're pouring money into the coffers of Microsoft and their ilk, and employing what may be some of the least innovation-motivated IT staff in the country.

The only thing that prevents me from going completely mad about this is that it applies to almost every local-government run service, and not just libraries. Everything changes by staying the same. Only more so.

Of course people can access Amazon - they go into a public library and they use the People's Network. That's investment in something other than books, and I thought you didn't like that, Tim.

It's very good to hear from you, Arnold, but no, that's not what I have ever said. I do approve of screens for serious use and study and I believe there aren't enough of them. What I do say, though is that there isn't nearly sufficient investment in books and there is far too much cost in in the non- public facing activities.

But the person I'm quoting had a very interesting idea, which I have come across before and wanted to repeat, that Amazon- or any really good comprehensive catalogue of all books in and out of print with all the narrative that accompanies the title, could be used by readers either to reserve stock for borrowing- or even to purchase if they wished.

>>But the person I'm quoting had a very interesting idea, which I have come across before and wanted to repeat, that Amazon- or any really good comprehensive catalogue of all books in and out of print with all the narrative that accompanies the title, could be used by readers either to reserve stock for borrowing- or even to purchase if they wished.<<

Tim

The British Library integrated catalogue is available as a free use resource and would regularly be consulted by most bookdealers, presumably it would be available to any library computer users

Amazon were given access and use of this data : they have totally screwed up in the manner in which they have assigned BASIN numbers for oop titles and this often leads to incorrect matching.

I shudder and fear for the future of the UK terrestial bookshops when I consistently hear that publishers friends, yes yourself included, are flying the flag for Amazon as though it is the future of book distribution and cataloguing.

Many librarians are dedicated to guiding readers in their choice of books : it appears that you are chosing to ignore these good deeds.