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Libraries versus publishers…how business models change
By Jennifer 8. Lee | March 31, 2008
When I spoke at the San Francisco Public Library, the woman who arranged the event (Joan) mentioned that the book had been very popular in the Bay Area. They had ordered about 40 copies of my book and all of them were out. Plus there were 71 holds (i.e. a waiting list) on those copies, so the library was planning on order more.
My college roommate, Shouyee, actually saw my book at the Flushing Library in Queens (I’m speaking there in a few months) and borrowed it.
Love libraries. Loved them since when I was a little girl.
It’s funny to think that once upon a time publishers were really threatened by libraries (free books would, of course cut, into sales). But now libraries are among publishers’ best friends. Libraries can be responsible for buying anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 copies (or more!) of a title. Just goes to show how business models change. Kinda like how studios sued the VCR all the way up to the Supreme Court, but then discovered that VCRs were actually goo for business. I hope newspapers also experience something like that.
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