Title: What Public Libraries Can Learn from Superbookstores
Abstract: Superbookstores have devoted much time and money identifying how to entice people into them, and in helping them to select and buy books. Public libraries should retain their focus as people places, building collections and social capital, matching renders to resources, promoting education, preserving culture and local history, and providing access to information. However they should study and apply retailing techniques to enable communication with their users and grow their user base. Revised and edited version of a presentation to the Public Library Section Kansas Library Association September 2003. The author's email is [email protected] ********** Bookstore owners and managers have spent much time and money in experimenting how to entice customers into their stores and in helping them to select and buy books. This article explores how librarians might adapt the techniques bookstores use to communicate to their customers. Some librarians will ask whether bookstore staff merely push the latest bestseller or do they try to match readers to books? Although Barnes and Noble staff are not trained to match readers and books, they are encouraged to take books home and read them. The fronts of Barnes and Noble stores have shelves for 'staff recommendations'. In the independent Watermark bookstore in Wichita, Kansas, staff recommendations are grouped by staff member name because customers learn which staff recommend the books they prefer. Even if library staff know more about books than bookstore staff, few libraries have 'staff recommended' shelves. In most libraries, users must ask staff what books they recommend. This article is not suggesting that librarians should alter their focus on building collections, matching readers to books, promoting education, preserving culture and local history, access to information etc. However it does invite them to study and apply the techniques bookstores use to communicate with customers, so that they can communicate better with library users. It summarises items about browsing and displays in libraries, store design, and creating atmosphere in stores. Micheal Hadden, Director of the Schaumburg (Illinois) Township District Library, generously provided pictures of the Hanover Park Branch Library. This library was designed in the bookstore style. Jane Fink, head of the Creative Services and Promotion Department of the Daviess County Public Library in Owensboro, Kentucky, provided pictures and descriptions of its creative displays. Library Director Deborah Mesplay says her library works very hard to promote community events ... via the library displays. We now have numerous organizations contacting us and asking if we will put up a display on a particular subject or issue that relates to an organizational activity. Finally, valuable insights into the workings of Barnes and Noble bookstores were received through an interview with Linda Flanders, a former supervisor of the children's section of a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Wichita. Linda has also served on a library board and now works for the Central Kansas Library System. Crosstraining Barnes and Noble staff are crosstrained to do everything. Linda, although supervisor of the children's section, was taught how to make lattes. The cafe staff can direct customers to the mystery section or any other place in the store. Lists of the bestsellers are posted in strategic places, for example near the cash registers. Everyone is expected to be able to list the top ten or so bestsellers and where they are in the store. Staff are constantly fed sheets warning when titles will be released or are coming to the store. Everyone takes daily turns at the checkout counter. More crosstraining would benefit libraries. Training circulation and reference staff in the mysteries of interlibrary loan would increase their ability to answer questions and advise users about the interlibrary loan process. …
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 4
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