[WEB4LIB] Re: library marketing was RE: Google Mail invitations? Any takers?

[Jennifer Heise]

Mr. Brian Collier wrote:
> This is veering off topic, but I have to disagree with Roy's evaluation
> of A and B. 
> 
> There's no question that we provide what people want. Barnes and Noble,
> the NY Times, Netflix, and ISPs charge for the same stuff that libraries
> GIVE AWAY in the form of books, movies, periodicals, and computer
> access. As far as ease of access, all people have to do is walk, run,
> bike, or drive to their community library. 

Assuming they are available when their community library is open. One of 
the things I see killing public libraries is the fact that evening and 
weekend hours go first, but with the kind of schedules people keep, 
getting to the library before 7,8,or 9 pm on a weekday is increasingly 
difficult. B&N and Borders get a lot of customer loyalty because they 
are open late.

The question is, can distributed web services be used to handle some of 
the day to day stuff that libraries now claim HAS to be done during the 
day, so evening and weekend hours are the ones that get cut? Can we use 
web services to support libraries that open at 1 pm and stay open until 10?

Or could we set up reverse bookdrops, where patrons browse and order the 
books they want, then pick them up during late night/weekend hours?

-- 
/   Jennifer Heise, Helpdesk/Librarian, Email: jahb at lehigh.edu
\ \ Lehigh Library & Technology Services, Phone: (610) 758-3072
   / Fairchild-Martindale Library, 8A Packer Ave, Bethlehem PA 18015

"Comment is free, but facts are on expenses." -- Tom Stoppard