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Telling a true story or making it up: Discourse on the effectiveness of the bookshop model for public libraries

Telling a true story or making it up: Discourse on the effectiveness of the bookshop model for... Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the often cited example of the book retailer, and other commercial imperatives, as adequate models for implementation in the public library. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a critical reflection on some of the pertinent issues. Findings – The paper finds that we should consider models in their entirety and not on the basis of superficial improvements to layout and design. The adoption of a commercial model within the public realm poses as many dangers as it does advantages. Practical implication – The paper should be of interest to anyone working in public libraries, or those considering some of the issues related to the commercialisation of the public sector, especially public libraries. Originality/value – The paper offers an original thought piece on the influence of the private sector on the public library service in the UK, and the potential this has to alter the ethos of the service. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Library Review Emerald Publishing

Telling a true story or making it up: Discourse on the effectiveness of the bookshop model for public libraries

David McMenemy
Library Review , Volume 58 (1): 5 – Feb 6, 2009
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References (3)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0024-2535
DOI
10.1108/00242530910928889
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the often cited example of the book retailer, and other commercial imperatives, as adequate models for implementation in the public library. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a critical reflection on some of the pertinent issues. Findings – The paper finds that we should consider models in their entirety and not on the basis of superficial improvements to layout and design. The adoption of a commercial model within the public realm poses as many dangers as it does advantages. Practical implication – The paper should be of interest to anyone working in public libraries, or those considering some of the issues related to the commercialisation of the public sector, especially public libraries. Originality/value – The paper offers an original thought piece on the influence of the private sector on the public library service in the UK, and the potential this has to alter the ethos of the service.

Journal

Library Review – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 6, 2009

Keywords: Public libraries; Public sector; Customer service management

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