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September 1, 2007
Gardners have bought Askews
This is good news for the library service as the public will get even more books for their money and there is a real chance to improve the whole supply chain by the remaining suppliers forcing councils to behave sensibly
It is also another final nail in the wretched "Better books, better libraries" nonsense being fiddled over by the MLA . There is no need for a new and expensive government agency to do what efficient suppliers in competition with each other are already doing
There is some help needed to show library buyers how to use the supply lines open to them in a better way- but that is for local councils to understand and initiate. The MLA could have got themselves into a position with the credibility to assist that. But, as last weeks poll in the Bookseller shows, they haven't
Posted by Tim Coates at September 1, 2007 1:38 PM
Comments
Although libraries are able to get books at such discounts, are they tied into one wholesaler or able to range across several, along with other suppliers for out-of-the-way items?
Whichever, there must be resistance to claims that discounts mean that a smaller percentage of the library budget is needed for book purchases. The point of such discounts is that more books can be bought (especially as authors receive lower royalties on discounted books...).
Posted by: Christopher Hawtree at September 2, 2007 11:00 AM
Christopher-- There's no reason why these more efficient supply arrangements should restrict what a council buys-- indeed it should provide easier access to a wider range of publishers and authors
Your second point is the more important one. There has to be a new found passion and urgency to rebuild the book collections-- because it is the essential thing to do. That sense is rarely to be found-- and it needs to be superior to all other driving forces in the public library service. It means not just better discounts but also hefty increases in book funds. The efficiency that these big suppliers bring make it possible to allow the money to be released for this purpose.
For it to work councillors have to understand how important this is-- and they need to insist that the librarians pursue their goal very hard -- and they need to know that they must divert as much of the money saved into the book fund as possible. They will - if they are given chance to comprehend the subject-- it's not difficult
Posted by: tim at September 2, 2007 11:33 AM