Library Delivery 2.0: Delivering Library Materials in the Age of NetFlix

Library Philosophy and Practice, LPP Special Issue on Libraries and Google

Article discussing how Netflix and similar services are shaping expectations about product delivery, which in turn are driving libraries to rethink how items are delivered to their customers. Library Delivery 2.0 refers to the idea of delivering library materials into the user's hands in a way that is personalized, convenient and fast. Written November, 2006.

Library as Pantry

I had the thought recently that libraries are like pantries. Sure, they are full of things we get at Costco (just like everyone else) but once they are in our pantry, they feel different somehow. Once they are in my pantry, they are mine. Even though that can of tuna sitting on my shelf was one of hundreds of identical tuna cans at the grocery store, it feels special to me now that it is on my pantry shelf (I've also got a Little Prince vibe going here but I'm going to try to stick to this pantry metaphor if I can).

New Book on Library Delivery

I'm one of the contributing authors for a new book titled Moving Materials: Physical Delivery in Libraries available from ALA Editions.
Valerie Horton and Bruce Smith are the editors. It's $70 (crazy high ALA prices) and is available for preorder now.
Here's how they describe the book:

Picking, packing, delivering, and returning library materials can be very time consuming and expensive; yet, it is one of the most important and least understood functions within a library.