Libraries and the Long Tail

Yes, libraries as a whole can effectively utilize the long tail of their collections, but they may need to work together in order to fully publicize the niche parts of their collections. No single library can have, or would want, books on everything. But a group of libraries connected together can amass a very large long tail. Libraries could do more to promote the value of the library catalog, which usually encompasses other branches, and inter-library loans. The Web, and those who embrace emerging technologies, are making the library a more modern, social place everyday. Like I said in another post: the Web has only made the library catalog larger as now many specialized publications and other resources – not to mention resources of other libraries – can be searched instantly.

I may take some jabs for thinking the library should adopt some things a bookstore would use, but great ideas can come from lots of different places. Some patrons may not fully recognize or appreciate all the resources and niche items that are available at the library. I’ve seen Barnes & Noble showcase book picks from their staff members and there’s always a great but less than well known gem there. Why can’t libraries implement this as librarian’s picks of the week or month – or for those libraries that already do, implement something on a grander scale? Maybe library patrons don’t want to see the current bestseller after being bombarded with its image on bookstore websites and sometimes even on commercials!? This would make the library the perfect place to showcase less “popular” items. I also like the feature on some commercial websites (Amazon, Netflix) where other users write reviews for their peers to read, and the program itself can make recommendations based on previous purchases/rentals. The library would be well-served if they could offer this level of interactivity – hopefully we will get there someday ;-)

Is it worth it? Yup…lest libraries face an ever decreasing amount of patrons who abandon the library for other (online and more personalized) venues. Keeping libraries in the public eye for just about any reason is a good thing.