h a l f b a k e r yMy hatstand runneth over
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a) Public notice -- web site, posterboard, whatever -- of the hundred books most checked out in the last month. Idea: Frequency of checkout suggests popularity, which suggests the books you might want to look at, too (of course, it could also suggest slick marketing)
b) When a well known author
comes out with a new book, post a notice of the other books by that author that are available
(?) Borrowing trends in UK lending libraries.
http://www.plr.uk.c...ds/pressrelease.htm
Cookson still rules the roost but J K Rowling is putting up the first credible challenge for years. I think they should duke it out over 15 rounds at MSG for the undisputed title. [DrBob, Mar 08 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
[link]
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I like the peace and quiet, too. And if I implied that this was to speed up the in and out, then I withdraw that part. But libraries are in competition with Barnes and Noble et al, and when I go to Borders, i can get someone to tell me what the best sellers are. The library may not have those newest ones, but they have a trove of usage information that I thought could be used to promote the image of the libe as a place to go. At mine, the most popular things are computer classes and puppet shows! |
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Gee, that *does* make me feel better. <g> And I suppose I didn't mean the general public, but rather 'people like me'... you know, literate, urbane, charming... But to cut to it, *is* there a way that libraries could use that user database to provide a better service? (At the risk of alienating all the libarians who are doing their best with shrinking budgets and demanding customers) |
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I think the "most checked out" list for a library would be interesting because I think it would be very different from a bestseller list. I think it may well be more valuable, too, because it would point out the books that have maintained their worth and popularity over time. |
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It would be interesting to see which reference books are the most used as well (even though most of those are not allowed to be checked out, a fact which leaves me slowly buying up reference books for home--an expensive venture). |
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what is left for me to read then? you leaving me the newspapers with the cr*p jobs; me nasty old illit. where's me carrier bag? slinks out of nice warm place feeling unwanted and unloved . |
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The value of it would depend on how the library was going to use the information. If they're going to say "No-one's checked out this book on 17th century English church music for two years; let's get rid of it." and "These Mills and Boon bodice-rippers are really popular; let's get more of them.", I'd be totally opposed. |
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The most regularly borrowed book in UK Public Libraries? A Catherine Cookson book. The second most popular? Another Catherine Cookson. The third? Ms Cookson. The fourth? Do I really need to tell you? Just to make it all *really* exciting, Danielle Steele does just manage to make it into the top then, though. |
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If this was ever going to work it'd have to be separated into genres. It should be reasonably straightforward - most libraries have automated management systems these days. |
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