Libraries Scramble for Books After Giant Distributor Shuts Down

Modern libraries lack the money to pay people to do the basic things to take a book as you might get from the bookstore and get it ready to go into a library's collection. These are things from picking a way to categorize the book so it can be found in the catalog, to adding the shelf numbers and sticker telling you what library owns it, to wrapping the outside of hardback books with that clear plastic, and several other important tasks. Big University libraries still have the staff to do this to books that don't come from the major distributors but their time is precious.

Instead, libraries purchase what are called "shelf ready" services from the companies that distribute books specifically for libraries.

There were like 4 companies that worked with most libraries. When I was a Director we had Baker & Taylor and Ingram and would order form whoever had the shortest wait time or better price. Many places worked with just 1 distributor and B&T was one of the biggest and oldest.

So B&T announced a few months ago they were in financial trouble. Then ReaderLink said they were going to buy B&T so customers shouldn't panic.

And then ReaderLink pulled out the deal suddenly and B&T is in shutdown and never going to reopen. Their staff were immediately laid off and flocked to the r/librarians and.r/libraries to tell us.

6 comments

It really takes leadership to bankrupt a business that has a near monopoly market.
- More like private equity firms killing it on purpose.
This leaves only Ingram and Brodart as the primary source for most libraries public and school alike. The fact that ReaderLink pulled out of their buyout deal is so worrying.
- I didn’t hear about this, care to educate?
  
  Modern libraries lack the money to pay people to do the basic things to take a book as you might get from the bookstore and get it ready to go into a library's collection. These are things from picking a way to categorize the book so it can be found in the catalog, to adding the shelf numbers and sticker telling you what library owns it, to wrapping the outside of hardback books with that clear plastic, and several other important tasks. Big University libraries still have the staff to do this to books that don't come from the major distributors but their time is precious.
  Instead, libraries purchase what are called "shelf ready" services from the companies that distribute books specifically for libraries.
  There were like 4 companies that worked with most libraries. When I was a Director we had Baker & Taylor and Ingram and would order form whoever had the shortest wait time or better price. Many places worked with just 1 distributor and B&T was one of the biggest and oldest.
  So B&T announced a few months ago they were in financial trouble. Then ReaderLink said they were going to buy B&T so customers shouldn't panic.
  And then ReaderLink pulled out the deal suddenly and B&T is in shutdown and never going to reopen. Their staff were immediately laid off and flocked to the r/librarians and.r/libraries to tell us.