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ERIC Number: EJ794735
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Apr-15
Pages: 1
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0363-0277
EISSN: N/A
What If You Ran Your Bookstore Like a Library? The Troubled Book Business Can Learn from Libraries' Willingness to Share
Fister, Barbara
Library Journal, v133 n7 p30 Apr 2008
Ten years ago, stories like "B&N: The New College Library" (LJ 2/1/98) and "What If You Ran Your Library Like a Bookstore?" (American Libraries, 3/98) kicked up a controversy about the viability of libraries. Ironically, these days it's the book business that has an aura of crisis and gloom, while visits to libraries are surging. Over two billion items are checked out annually, and nearly all libraries offer free Internet access along with many of the amenities of a bookstore. Truth be told, the book business has always had an aura of crisis and gloom. It's the Eeyore of industries. Lately, it's become clear that the book industry really does need to be saved: from itself. It might start by looking more closely at what libraries do. After all, libraries know that developing a strong book culture involves making it easy for people to discover and sample new books, to acquire books quickly even if they are not on the local library's shelves, and to share their reading experiences with others. One of the most powerful reasons for choosing a book is having another reader recommend it. In short, sharing is not the problem. It's the solution.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A