[WEB4LIB] Re: library marketing was RE: Google Mail

[Fiona Bradley]

>>> Ross Singer <ross.singer at library.gatech.edu> 15/02/2005 1:13:58 pm
>>>
>Even more important than "trendy" (because it would be like
>"trendy with longevity") would be "ubiquity".  If only we could
>achieve the market share of a Starbucks (anyone?) or a Google,
>there wouldn't be the need to slash monograph budgets to pay for
>increasing serials bills.

What does market share mean to libraries? Does it mean library systems
competing with each other to achieve higher gate numbers?

I searched Starbucks' annual report for 2004 and didn't find any market
share figures (no surprise there). Someone with access to business
databases should be able to find this information though, if they feel
the need!

>We must have public interfaces that are as easy to use as Amazon or
>Google.  We must make it easier to get the material that the user
>wants over Amazon's marketplace. 

Agreed. As bad as card catalogues were, they were pretty much the same
in every library. Now, users have to learn new ways to search every time
they use a new library. We are expecting too much of users.

>Why is it that sites with ISBNs have links to Amazon or Barnes and
>Noble and Powell's, but never to your public library? 

Most websites tend to have a larger audience than those situated
geographically close to the local library, so it makes sense to link to
sites that are perceived to be global like Amazon. Though certainly it
would be nice if people started linking to National Library holdings,
that would be a start. And libraries could have a great opportunity to
widen their profile in the local community if they developed ways to
link to catalogue items on the websites of local radio stations,
newspapers, and other organisations.

cheers,
Fiona