11/06/2021
Takeaway of the second Zoom conference on Library Acquisitions Practices: The Book Journey, 10th June 2021:
Book Journey to Africa
Lacking a research tool that offers identification n selection of books readily, the Book Acquisitions process in universities is largely handled by the Library
*Librarians find it difficult to engage professors n students in book selection
*Professors n Management look at the acquisition process as a Librarians dept matter
*Librarians implement the vision of the university by acquiring books n other materials needed for reading, teaching n research
*Lacking faculty n students’ participation and the flawed impression that selecting books is a rung below them, librarians cede creation of booklists to library assistants n booksuppliers
**This in itself, breaks the oath the university is bound, providing high-class, quality education to students
* Students display frustration from lack of books in libraries n attitude of “we don’t have the book” from Librarians who don’t followup on the need
* Ceding creation of booklists for Univ teaching to Booksellers means ceding the curriculum
* Booksupplier doesn’t work for university
* Ceding selection to assistants who probably never went to university lacks merit
* Lists provided to suppliers show lack of understanding of basics in book identification
** The question is if University Management is aware that this education-book link is broken? Will they be involved in repairing it?
* Librarians distribute the prepared booklists to their suppliers for quotation
* Once quotations have been received, librarians do a technical analysis (premise based on local retail).
* They analyse the pricing on a title-by-title basis awarding each title to the supplier with least price.
** This indicates ignorance of the internl scope of the supply chain for a book... A book is not a T-Shirt, a computer, or a bag of potatoes. Buying books has internl trade, cross-border, foreign currency exchange implications
**Pricing a list of 400 Titles:
Create list; find Supplier; Price of Book + Price to Buyer or Consolidator; Consolidation charges; Customs; Airfreight;
Customs at Port of Entry; Delivery to Supplier; Packaging 📦; Invoicing; Delivery to customer 🚚; A cost at each stage/ foreign Exchange rates.
** At Technical Analysis, giving a supplier 50 tiltes without fresh invoicing means either books will not be supplied or Bookseller will wind up his business. It’s better to sell potatoes.
** Technical analysis can be based on real book price (public).
*** All these complications!! some librarians OPT for books from street vendors!
In Europe seamless delivery to the door!
There’s need to make book acquisition process SEXY!
*How:
1. We can consult and create a Customer Journey for all your Clients and Business Partners
2. Subscribe to Oakleafbooks.se to involve all stakeholders in book selection process... Make the University Library the agora it was build to be!! If you can’t serve students to become critical thinkers n reflective learners, maybe it’s time to find new employment.
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