[Web4lib] Libraries: Standing at the Wrong Platform, Waiting for the Wrong Train?

[Matthew J. Dovey]

> "It is no longer unusual to hear about people who prefer to 
> buy a book online and have it delivered right to their door, 
> instead of walking across campus to check out the same book 
> from the campus library. Although these 'Amazoners' may still 
> be the exception rather than the rule, in today's world of 
> expedited electronic tracking and worldwide delivery, it 
> seems only natural that we should begin to expect direct 
> delivery of print material from anywhere, to anywhere. Yet 
> libraries have been slow to react to these changes. 
> Cumbersome interlibrary loan procedures are still the norm."

Which opens up new avenues, if the libraries are willing to play the
game - e.g.

If a library doesn't have a book in stock, it could offer to buy the
book (new and/or second hand via Amazon) as an alternative to ILL (and
the library could pocket the Amazon associate money). Also some
libraries have looked into the feasibility of buying books ino via
Amazon (again new or second hand) instead of ILL, and if the book is not
something they want to keep in stock when the borrower returns it sell
it off again via Amazon or ebay.

Matthew