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Old 02-28-2013, 08:26 AM   #46
Ripplinger
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I've thought of contacting my library to do exactly this, but I thought it would be a nightmare for them with the "ebooks are only licensed and not owned" issues from publishers and would decline the offer for legal reasons.

I'm going to have to give this a try.
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Old 03-13-2013, 09:06 PM   #47
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Ok, today I gave this a try. Not only is there no way they can accept ebooks, they no longer accept hard cover books because the cost is too high to tag them and get them into the system. I didn't ask at one of the numerous smaller neighborhood libraries, but at the main downtown library for the city.

I really wasn't that hopeful about ebooks, but to not allow hard cover donations any more just floored me. It's probably a case of the library being too large.

Has anyone else run into this? This just makes no sense to me. Even if they bought and paid for the hard cover books, they'd still have the same cost to tag them and get them into the system.
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Old 03-13-2013, 09:24 PM   #48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ripplinger View Post
Has anyone else run into this? This just makes no sense to me. Even if they bought and paid for the hard cover books, they'd still have the same cost to tag them and get them into the system.
Tagging and entering of books they purchase is probably attached to the purchase software system. Or at least, is automatically scheduled to be done after each purchase. Books entered from donations involve
  • Checking to see if they already have this book
  • Figuring out what category it goes into (fiction, nonfic, what dewey decimal #'s, etc)
  • Figuring out what keywords get entered in the database, if it's not already there
  • Checking the quality of the book to see if it's fit for library shelves (no highlighter, no obscene notes in the margins)
  • Entering the book into their database manually, instead of inserting the ISBN in a spot that grabs that info from the distributor's database

... and probably a couple of other steps I'm not thinking of. Wrapping the cover in plastic?

I think it's a shame that libraries are turning down books; I don't believe the process I've described costs more than a new book. But it's disruptive of the system, and not scheduled into either their time or money arrangements, and so it gets dropped.

There's a lot of places these days that opt for paying cash instead of doing labor, and then get upset when they notice funds are short. It's ridiculous for libraries, which often have the offer of volunteer labor to support them, and if they don't, they could probably put out a request for labor from whatever college or high school is nearby.
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Old 03-13-2013, 09:32 PM   #49
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My library doesn't accept hardcovers due to space limitations. They are packing dozens of boxes ready to ship to Better World Books.
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Old 03-14-2013, 08:18 AM   #50
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I suspect that this is more a matter of gatekeeping/collection curating than the cost of processing. I mean, could processing a book really cost more than BUYING a book? In Elfwreck's example above, I would imagine most of it could be done by looking up the ISBN. I think probably the librarian just doesn't want your old book, and doesn't want to say so (or doesn't want to look the book up and decide yes or no on the spot).

The library in my hometown now has a used bookstore attached. All book donations go there (not to the library collection), and the money the bookstore makes supports the library.

eP
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