Fuse #8

Friday, December 08, 2006

What If the Library Worked Like Netflix?

Well, what if it did?
This author poses the question, neatly skirting such sticky topics as how much would it cost the library to send items to people who are not "high wage earners". On the other hand, it's true that the Netflix model is an enticing one. I found that the comments to this article were just as interesting as the piece itself, though.

3 Comments:

At 10:27 AM , Blogger Sara Z. said...

Mine kind of is, minus the home delivery. I can go online, look up the book, put it on hold and request it delivered to my branch (which is just blocks away), and they email me when it's in. The also email me three days before it's due to remind me to return it. I love my library!

 
At 11:10 AM , Blogger fusenumber8 said...

We do that too. But there's an inconvenience when it comes to returning the item sometimes. NYPL doesn't have drop boxes, so people have to make it to a branch when it's open. Which tends to be hours when they're working. It's inconvenient and cuts down on our circ.

 
At 1:17 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's a for-rent option that works like Netflix -- booksfree, at www.booksfree.com.

I use this for books that my library doesn't have, or that are so popular that I'd have to wait months for them at the library. It also helps with my book-buying madness.

 

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