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TIM COATES

Tim Coates, former m.d. of Waterstone’s, is now a leading campaigner for library reform.

Library service

04.02.10

Publishers should invest in the British Public Library service and save it. It is in their commercial interest to lead the restoration. At present public libraries buy £90m of books each year, making them the fourth ­largest public-facing customer of UK publishers (behind
W H Smith's, Waterstone's and Amazon). If the library service were working properly it would purchase £200m annually. That is why Random House, Pearson, Hachette, HarperCollins and Macmillan should act.

The supply chain needs radical surgery: there is no need any longer for library suppliers; there should be one national standard process which turns a printed book into a library book; there should be one national standard ­supply contract (with a space for negotiated prices) useable by all publishers, distributors, wholesalers and libraries. Deliveries should be direct from distributor or wholesaler to individual libraries (not council library depots). Orders, invoices and transfers of information should all be by standard EDI process.

There should be less movement of stock between libraries—it is more economic to purchase new or replacements. Standards should be held and maintained by BIC. Public libraries should use Nielsen Book Data standard catalogues. There should be one standard specification of Library Management Systems. CIPFA, the library performance reporting mechanism, needs to be replaced with a simple web-based system for individual libraries. Publishers' promotion programmes should include libraries.

But at the heart of the restoration publishers must persuade those local councillors who are responsible for allocating funds that books are important, useful to the public and fulfil a vital role in their legal obligation to provide a library service. Most councillors and council officers have been told that this is no longer true—they believe books are an out-of-date medium. Publishers have to learn to sell to the unconverted, and must also persuade councillors to double the proportion of library budgets that is spent on books (in any format). There is huge wasted money spent on administration and supply work, all of which add nothing to the value of the library. By leading the supply chain improvements, publishers will be able to explain that libraries do not need to cost more to improve. Councillors and individual libraries are the new customers. Publishers should stop trying to sell to library suppliers.

The public library service is like an old Victorian house; neglected, and then ruined by attempts at modernisation. When it is taken back to its original state and the designs are restored, it will be a truly wonderful, valuable thing.
 

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By Clive Pratt

Unfortunately Coatesy demonstrates why he was dumped from his last job at a library supplier - he hasn't the faintest idea what he is on about. As valiant as his attempts are - for something must be done about this supply chain - his naivety regarding requirements undermines his case completely.

04 Feb 10 14:00

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By A Pensioner

Tim Coates is right to raise the issue of library supply. Several reports including those by PwC and PKF have highlighted the opportunities for library authorities to standardise processes, to share services and to improve procurement. There has been some improvement but many authorities are throwing money out of the window while closing community libraries to meet budget targets.

04 Feb 10 18:01

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By Tim Coates

To Clive Pratt- Clive, I am used in this field to being in receipt of mud pies, and am happy to answer arguments that are made. I don't know if we have ever met, but I must answer your comment. My piece above is about supply to public libraries. Your remark appears to be a personal comment unrelated to this subject and the job to which you are referring was in supply to academic libraries, where the issues are completely different. If it is of any reassurance, (even though it is not relevant to this matter) far from what you suggest I am still working with that company on an important academic supply project. If you want to make a point about public library supply, where I know what I have written is controversial, I will be happy to try to answer it.

04 Feb 10 23:12

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By philip

Is this the same Clive Pratt who reckoned jd salinger was overrated? I think you are in good company Tim.

05 Feb 10 09:35

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By Gwenhwyfar

I have to agree with Tim Coates. Having moved from the world of bookselling into the world of libraries I am struck by how antiquated library procedures are compared to those of retail. Now I know that the two things are, and should be, different. But it is not good that a profession which should be at the forefront of knowledge and innovation should be so hampered by procedures and thinking that would not be out of place in the nineteenth century, never mind the twenty first! I am not and do not pretend to be any kind of expert, I am just making an observation based on my own experiences. And in my experience we would get lots of customers in my bookshop wanting new books because "the library doesn't have it yet" And these experiences lead to the view that libraries are fusty, dusty places, more like archives than the dynamic places I know they can be (and which the best ones undoubtedly already are). Libraries could learn a lot from retail and Tim Coates is helping to open up that debate. I am sure that he does not for a second think that all the things he has suggested would or could or even should happen. And I am sure he is well aware of obstacles to his plans (library suppliers' objections being, I'm sure, foremost amongst them). But does that mean that he is wrong to suggest them? We should welcome radical thought and see it as an opportunity for discussion and change, not shoot it down as soon as it appears. Shame on you Mr Pratt.

05 Feb 10 10:01

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By Rodney Burbeck

All good stuff, Tim. We look forward to you voicing your opinions in person at the next Galley Club meeting on 10 February at The George, Strand, 6.30pm for 7pm; £5 (includes buffet) for non-members. Detractors and supporters all welcome to lob questions.

05 Feb 10 20:03

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By Tim Coates

Following publication of this call I have received information that library suppliers have agreed book supply contracts at 47.5% discount off the cover price of books, so long as the supplier can make the selection of which books are supplied. These contracts apply to all the books supplied. The commitment, written or unwritten is that the supplier will select the best, most appropriate books for the local library, in the field. There are, nowadays, only a handful suppliers, most of them are owned by the two national wholesalers. The value of the supply contracts is £90m per annum You don't have to be too experienced to know that such a level of discount narrows the field of books that can be selected by wholesalers and suppliers to a very few new publications and a wide range of remainder stock. It is not hard to see what might be happening to make these contracts profitable. It is not possible to work comprehensively or appropriately at such a level of discount, as any small publisher will confirm, If this is true then it represents a major breach of public trust and a total failure of professional conduct. It needs to be investigated, urgently and whatever malpractice is in hand should be stopped immediately This is really serious. Councils and suppliers always claim that these deals are subject to what they call 'commercial confidentiality' -- they should not be-- they should be open to proper public scrutiny otherwise situations of this nature will occur.

07 Feb 10 09:59

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By datz

The problem here is that Tim makes some very good and pertinent points regarding standardizing the library book supply chain, that are spoilt by his lack of knowledge of how most libraries run supplier based selection. We don't just hand over thousands of pounds and say "off you go mate". We provide suppliers with a highly detailed specification based on actual evidence of borrower usage. We instruct them on coverage of independent publishers, first novels etc etc. We also hold back a proportion for local authors, local history and librarian led stock revision. In my authority our issues are increasing not decreasing, if we were getting it that wrong wouldn't the public let us know?

11 Feb 10 09:28

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By Tim Coates

Datz- in most places the practice is not so good-- and in far too many the public do show their dissatisfaction and book lending is going down. That is the problem one is trying to address. It is there to be seen in the figures.

11 Feb 10 10:36

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By JULIAN RIVERS

One thing is that the problem is getting smaller, just £90m now, the sector is far less than the combined sales to just Amazon by the two wholesalers. The library authorities have of course driven the demand for ever higher supply terms BUT have been reluctant to cut complexity [as that protects jobs]. Now the result is selection by the supplier at those high terms , moving cost across to the suppliers .To some extent this has been in play for several years and I doubt that books outside of "full discount " lines would not be supplied , they would just fall out of the scheme's discount provisions and would be supplied but at lower discounts to the library .

11 Feb 10 12:05

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By Andrew Preston

Well. I'm not in the book trade. I see no reason for my local library to be turned into what amounts to an outlet for publishers. So blatant , this man. These big publishers seem to me to be dinosaurs. Best kept at a distance.

19 May 10 07:49

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By Tim Coates

Guilty, Andrew. Of course public libraries are outlets for publishers. I certainly campaign for that and am proud to do so. What else is there to read?

29 May 10 11:42

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By James DF Simpson

Interesting comments, library supply is in a mess and presumably explains why Bertrams is about to go down the drain and lose one if its senior managers. Why the heck are these companies selecting books in one office for libraries round the country and how can this possibly continue? Surely they have, what, half a dozen staff doing these choices, maybe a few more, maybe even less. How can they pick titles for hundreds of UK authorities, and why? Because libraries are now being run by businessmen who have no knowledge of the book and library industry, and the staff who work at the front of their libraries - the qualified libararians - are not even allowed to select books for their own branches now. Surely this has to stop. Libraries have got to select their own stock themselves, and get it delivered by the publishers if there's no supplier anymore. Scratch all the ridiculous labelling systems (rubber stamps on three sides and random pages anyone?) and put books on library shelves in the same way as they are in shops. OK, library supply can't go back to how it used to be, but it needs changing for the better.

29 May 10 11:58

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By James DF Simpson

Datz - Surely the process you describe should be done by your own knowledgable staff in your own libraries, and not farmed out to people in an office nowhere near your city or county. Your "highly detailed specification" combines with the very different but equally detailed specifications from every other authority that the suppliers have to select for, and I bet more mistakes are made than if you do it yourselves. Would it not be better to buy books yourselves from the suppliers, put the choice back locally, and keep the suppliers in business with slightly lower discounts, less comprehensive servicing, faster rates to shelves and improved relationships with the public? I used to work for a bookseller which had good relations with a major supplier (well one of the two) and it's amazing what goes on at these places which needn't just because councils and their library officers are set in their ways. You just need books. Simple. You should have a choice of where you buy them from, a supplier or a bookstore if they can provide the quantities, cut the red tape and get borrowers reading the books quicker. Can this work?

29 May 10 12:09

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