FUN AND PROFIT FOR LIBRARIES

1
FUN AND PROFIT FOR LIBRARIES

• Bob Holley
• Rural Libraries Conference
• April 30, 2009

2
Introduction and Background

• Welcome and introduction
• Demographics of the audience
• Interest in buying, selling, or both
• Are you worried about theft?
• Are there other experts in the audience?
• This PowerPoint will be posted on the Rural
  Libraries Conference Web site

3
How I Became Interested in this Topic

• Valuing donations to libraries
• High availability of obscure materials
• Perceived decline in prices since 2000

4
Research Funded by LCATS in 2003

• Compared buy and sell adds in AB Bookmans
  Weekly (1982 and 1992) with current OP market
• 95 availability in all four samples
• Decline in prices in inflation-adjusted dollars
  (-45)
• Mostly books in humanities, history, and social
  sciences
• Same early results in project on science books

5
Broader Implications

• Possible decline in publisher sales
• Library users will buy their own books if cheap
  enough
• Less wait
• Can mark up
• Can buy from home
• Dont need to return

6
Experiences as an OP Book Dealer

• I sold around 2000 titles last year
• Prices from .75 to 160
• I have found rare books at library, garage, and
  rummage sales
• Library books sales have been an excellent
  source of stock so that giving this talk is
  against my self interest

7
Resources for Buying and Selling

• The metasearch engines
• http//used.addall.com/
• http//bookfinder.com
• The individual dealers

8
Advantages of OP Market for Buying

• 95 availability almost no distinction between
  in-print and out-of-print
• Retrospective buying for new collecting areas
• Repurchasing missing books
• Lower prices in general
• Many 20th century popular books at 5.00 or less
  including shipping

9
Advantages of OP Market for Buying (continued)

• Lower prices for libraries that can wait
• Purchase as substitute for ILL
• Past use as indication of future use
• Item available for long-term use
• Buy not borrow pilot at Wayne State University
• Possible to outsource these purchases

10
Disadvantages of the OP Market for Buying

• Only Alibris consolidates orders for libraries
  and accepts purchase orders
• Strand, Powells Books, and Better World Books
  sell from stock
• Other sources list books from multiple vendors
• Each purchase is a separate transaction
• Each purchase is shipped individually

11
Disadvantages of the OP Market for Buying
(continued)

• Most often need a credit card or PayPal
  accountno purchase orders
• Issues with condition, non-delivery, and returns

12
Selling--Book Sales

• Public relations and getting people into the
  library
• Types
• Continuous
• Frequent on a regular schedule
• Once or twice a year

13
Book Sales--Pricing

• Trade paperbacks often equal in value to hard
  covers
• Media depends upon condition
• Library can check potentially valuable items

14
Book Sales-Dealers

• Ask yourself why you are bothered by your best
  customers
• If you are, some strategies are
• Higher prices at the beginning of the sale
• Preview for members of the Friends group
• Not allowing mobile scanners

15
Selling on the Internet for Libraries--Advantages

• Book sales undervalue many books
• Increased revenue

16
Selling on the Internet for Libraries--Disadvantag
es

• Time involved in the process
• May be practical only for libraries with free
  volunteers
• Can be complicated
• Required constant attention though sellers can go
  on vacation
• Removes the books from the community
• Loses the publicity value of book sales
• Local policies may prohibit such sales
• Storage space

17
Using an Intermediary

• Two major firms sell materials and give
  libraries a percentage of the sales
• Some restrictions of what they will accept
• Green disposal of materials
• Library can identify valuable materials and
  sell remainder at the book sale

18
The Two Major Sellers

• Both actively seek library partners
• Better World Books
• Pays shipping
• Lower percentage of sales
• B-logistics
• Does not pay shipping
• Higher percentage of sales
• Must have ISBN

19
Where to Sell on the Internet

• Ebaylimited selling period, listing fees,
  payment complexities
• Sites with easy of entry for relatively few
  sales
• Half.commore popular materials, lower prices
• Amazon.comhigher fees for casual sellers

20
Where to Sell on the Internet (continued)

• Sites designed for professional sellers and
  libraries with larger inventories
• Abebooks
• Alibris

21
How to Sell Successfully on the Internet

• Good service in all areas to achieve a high
  feedback rating
• Accurate description of condition
• Prompt shipping with excellent packaging
• Dealing with occasional problems
• Statement of non-profit status probably makes
  little difference

22
What to SellGeneral Considerations

• Search possible candidates on the metasearch
  sites
• Higher priced items however the libraries
  defines this
• You might also put them aside for the local book
  dealer or to send to the intermediaries
• Items with a sales record
• Library discards can be sold but are less popular

23
What to SellSubject and Format (My Opinions)

• Mass market paperbacksno except perhaps those
  in pristine condition
• Hard cover fictionno except if rare or
  currently in high demand
• Coffee table booksbeautiful but impossible to
  sell if available as remainders

24
What to SellSubject and Format (continued)

• Childrens booksno in general with some
  difficult to identify exceptions
• Trade paperbacksmany sell well especially those
  used in college courses
• Textbooksno in not current sell extremely well
  if still in use
• Religious books--yes

25
What to SellSubject and Format (continued)

• University press booksyes if used in courses
  otherwise slow movers
• Mediadepends on format, condition, popularity,
  and scarcity
• Rare booksAmazon, Alibris, or perhaps Ebay

26
Final Selling Considerations

• How to arrange inventory for easy retrieval
• By format
• By title, author, or date of listing
• Determining when to remove an item from sale

27
Theft and the OP Market

• Shelf books and media now have enough value to
  be stolen and sold
• Library discards are common in the op market
  though sell for less
• Anonymity of sales
• Thief can buy a discard stamp

28
Theft--Identification

• Almost all DVDs
• Mobile scanning services
• Search ILS from home
• General knowledge of the trade

29
Thefts from the Collection

• Many libraries have valuable books on the open
  shelves
• Steal the books from the library
• False check outs
• Interlibrary loan
• Pay replacement cost
• Ownership does not transfer

30
Thefts from the Collection

• Employee theft
• Less security including after hours and
  unsecured exits
• Weed the book to be bought later
• Collections expert examine books

31
Thefts of Gift Books

• More valuable on the market
• Usually will not be missed
• Removed when received or during pick up
• Security cameras to inhibit theft or catch thief

32
Questions

• Its your turn to ask any questions.