GuestColumn: Libraries + E-books
What's the value of finding a solution from the libraries' point of view? Libraries are very responsive to local community interests. We know our customers, and not just from the aggregate data we collect. Librarians actually have very direct interactions with customers. We know them by name; we know what they like to read. Our "readers advisory" service is in great demand by those who are heavy library users as well as those who request occasional assistance. We build our inventory to meet that local demand. Then, we pay attention to what circulates and what does not. When we have robust book purchasing budgets (yes, there are many libraries that still do), we weed out some of those already-purchased books and replace them with new titles, always trying to anticipate our readers' interests.