Document delivery from the library catalogue

[Tony Barry]

At 7:10AM 19/8/97, Ted Koppel wrote:
>   Now, let's say that I have linked by OPAC to Amazon, and I get the 15%
>   kickback as described in another message.  It seems to me that the local
>   bookstores could make a case that the library is preferring/favoring one
>   source over another by displaying that in its OPAC.

There is a possible solution.  Regard this as a service that libraries can
SELL to bookshops.  You put it out to tender - either the whole catalogue
or publications from particular publishers or some other way of dealing out
the business.  You let the contract for say two years with annual renewals
or re-tender from time to time.

Payment to the library could either be on the basis of commissions from
sales or an additional discount on purchases made by the _library_ to the
supplier.

In the later case you are saying "we will help you sell books to our
clientele IF you give us an additional discount in our purchases from you".

The library's clientele get easy access to the bookshop to titles they can
review themselves in the library and on topics in which they are
interested; the library gets either cash or discout benefits which it can
pass onto the clientele; and the bookseller makes sales.

Everybody wins except for those booksellers that did not tender or who's
tender failed.  They get to try harder the next time tenders are let.

Tony

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