Comments on: Buying Your Way Into Libraries http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/08/25/buying-your-way-into-libraries/ by Elizabeth Burns Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:10:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Just Floating In: Book Reviews and the Central Coast Writer's Conference | There's A Book http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/08/25/buying-your-way-into-libraries/#comment-200549 Just Floating In: Book Reviews and the Central Coast Writer's Conference | There's A Book Mon, 03 Sep 2012 03:55:35 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/?p=4990#comment-200549 [...] best-selling author who chose to use the service. This has brought this topic to the forefront of many discussions of late. Sadly this isn’t my first discovery of “book review mills.” A few months ago [...] [...] best-selling author who chose to use the service. This has brought this topic to the forefront of many discussions of late. Sadly this isn’t my first discovery of “book review mills.” A few months ago [...]

]]> By: Liz B http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/08/25/buying-your-way-into-libraries/#comment-200512 Liz B Sat, 01 Sep 2012 19:50:39 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/?p=4990#comment-200512 Lisa, whatever the name (filter? gatekeeper? curation?), I think librarians play an important role in collection development beyond bestsellers/patron requests. Given that selfpubbed books do not have the additional filters of traditionally published books, it is a challenge for libraries. Short of allowing library staff to read self pub books on library time to allow for purchasing, I'm not sure what the best answer is. Sondy: free does not mean it's worth reading (just like costs a lot doesn't mean it's worth reading). Absolutely! It is circular, and it's an area I'm quite interested in, so no matter how circular it gets I love talking about it. Lisa, whatever the name (filter? gatekeeper? curation?), I think librarians play an important role in collection development beyond bestsellers/patron requests. Given that selfpubbed books do not have the additional filters of traditionally published books, it is a challenge for libraries. Short of allowing library staff to read self pub books on library time to allow for purchasing, I’m not sure what the best answer is.

Sondy: free does not mean it’s worth reading (just like costs a lot doesn’t mean it’s worth reading). Absolutely! It is circular, and it’s an area I’m quite interested in, so no matter how circular it gets I love talking about it.

]]> By: Sondy http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/08/25/buying-your-way-into-libraries/#comment-200494 Sondy Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:52:03 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/?p=4990#comment-200494 Huh. Smashwords plan of getting free or reduced price self-published ebooks into libraries looks more effective to me than buying reviews. But just because a self-published author makes it free to libraries does not mean it will be worth reading! Our system uses Overdrive, so this is a moot point, but I'd hate to see libraries get flooded with low-quality ebooks just because they're low cost. Librarians usually put a little more effort into collection development than just bestsellers, which is where professional reviews come in. Hmm, this is getting a bit circular. Huh. Smashwords plan of getting free or reduced price self-published ebooks into libraries looks more effective to me than buying reviews. But just because a self-published author makes it free to libraries does not mean it will be worth reading! Our system uses Overdrive, so this is a moot point, but I’d hate to see libraries get flooded with low-quality ebooks just because they’re low cost. Librarians usually put a little more effort into collection development than just bestsellers, which is where professional reviews come in. Hmm, this is getting a bit circular.

]]> By: Lisa http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/08/25/buying-your-way-into-libraries/#comment-200319 Lisa Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:23:05 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/?p=4990#comment-200319 We've only bought a few self-published books - and those only after they were being relaunched by big houses. Fifty Shades, of course, as well as The Girl Who Circumnavigated... and the Amanda Hocking books. There have been the occasional patron requests that we've purchased, but boy do they sit on the shelf after the friend/colleague/loved one checks out the book that one time. Self-pubbed print books are still pretty easy to spot from afar, and the packaging isn't especially appealing. I worked in publishing before going to library school, so of course I'm biased, but I still see traditional publishers as a handy filter for collection development. I'm well aware that there are good books that slip through the cracks - they get submitted to the wrong editor, there's too many similar books at a particular house, etc. However, I can barely get a handle on what's being put out by old-school publishers; I'm not going to kill myself trying to keep up with what's going on in the self-publishing world. Also, self-published ebooks seem to do really well filling the needs of niche markets, but we serve a broad audience, and the vast majority of them still want print only. We don't need/can't afford/can't shelve 100 different vampire series; we'll make do with the top 10 or so (okay, maybe 20), and the vampire-obsessed will have to settle for those, get their fix elsewhere, or considering expanding their horizons to include werewolves and other paranormal critters. We’ve only bought a few self-published books – and those only after they were being relaunched by big houses. Fifty Shades, of course, as well as The Girl Who Circumnavigated… and the Amanda Hocking books. There have been the occasional patron requests that we’ve purchased, but boy do they sit on the shelf after the friend/colleague/loved one checks out the book that one time. Self-pubbed print books are still pretty easy to spot from afar, and the packaging isn’t especially appealing.

I worked in publishing before going to library school, so of course I’m biased, but I still see traditional publishers as a handy filter for collection development. I’m well aware that there are good books that slip through the cracks – they get submitted to the wrong editor, there’s too many similar books at a particular house, etc. However, I can barely get a handle on what’s being put out by old-school publishers; I’m not going to kill myself trying to keep up with what’s going on in the self-publishing world.

Also, self-published ebooks seem to do really well filling the needs of niche markets, but we serve a broad audience, and the vast majority of them still want print only. We don’t need/can’t afford/can’t shelve 100 different vampire series; we’ll make do with the top 10 or so (okay, maybe 20), and the vampire-obsessed will have to settle for those, get their fix elsewhere, or considering expanding their horizons to include werewolves and other paranormal critters.

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