LISNews.org | Amazon Introduces End-to-End Library Processing

You are viewing an archived story @LISNews.
You can use Google to search for other stories or start again at the New Improved LISNews Home Page
Subscribe to the current LISNew.org feed!
- XML --

New Improved LISNews Home Page

[ ]

Amazon Introduces End-to-End Library Processing

posted by birdie on 09:57 PM July 31st, 2006
from the make-it-easy-on-yourself dept. Amazon.com has launched Library Processing, enabling its multitudinous library customers to receive Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records and have books and other media they order from Amazon.com pre-fitted with Mylar jackets, barcodes, and other essential preparation services. For the latest list of library services, visit Amazon.com. Trackbacks:

Libraries See Pros -- and Cons -- With Amazon's New Programs 2 comments Following up on our announcement last week of new library services offered by Amazon.com, here's a discussion in The Book Standard on what the new program means to libraries. The article speculates on whether librarians will turn to Amazon.com for services that they currently get from companies like Baker & Taylor and Follett.

Author Kimberly Maul invites you to add your two bits via e-mail.

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted. Amazon Introduces End-to-End Library Processing | Log in/Create an Account | Top | 1 comments | Search Discussion Threshold: The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

Just-in-Time versus Just-in Case Acquisitions
(Score:2) by Peter (58) on Wednesday August 02, @10:41AM (#26286)
( http://dltj.org/wp-x-comments-show-more.php?t=dltj ) "Just-In-Time" acquisitions versus "Just-in-Case" acquisitions . I finally got the pieces together and wrote it up on my blog; here is an excerpt from the beginning:
A savvy patron looking for a recently published item will likely try the local library catalog to see if the item has been selected, purchased, received, cataloged, processed, and shelved (hereafter "SPRCPS") — in other words, gone through the traditional process libraries use for acquiring items. If not, the patron has one of three choices (that I can think of):
1. make a request for the item to be SPRCPS'd with a hold placed on the item so that the patron is notified when it is ready;
2. start an Interlibrary Loan process to try to get the item from another site that has SPRCPS'd the item faster than your library; or
3. pay a cost premium — buy the book themselves and have it delivered.
Looking at this from the perspective of elapsed time, #1 is likely many weeks, #2 is likely a few weeks, and #3 is likely a few days. Looking at this from the perspective of direct cost to the patron, #1 is the cheapest, #2 may be free or some nominal ILL transaction cost (depending on local policy), and #3 is the most expensive. All-in-all, reasonable tradeoffs.

But what if our libraries offered a service that had the speed of #3 and the cost of #1? Do you think that would be an appropriate service to our users?
Comments welcome!

Subscribe to the current LISNew.org feed! - XML --

Related Links

Amazon Introduces End-to-End Library Processing

Related Stories

Just-in-Time versus Just-in Case Acquisitions