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Hello, library friends! We’re taking a deeper dive into a few important news stories, including the rise of multiple library fulfillment programs in the absence of Baker & Taylor and federal legislation updates. Let’s dive in.
Battle of the Library Fulfillment Programs
More updates on how companies are trying to fill the Baker & Taylor-shaped void: Amazon, Brodart, Libraria, and Follett are expanding their preordering services. Ingram and Penguin Random House have partnered on a new print-on-demand service for libraries, which will offer POD access for 200 of Penguin Random House’s backlist titles, including books by Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich, Nalini Singh, and more. And ThriftBooks has launched LibraryAdvantage, which will allow library workers to order “everything from new releases to out-of-print editions,” plus a buyback program that allows libraries to earn store credit. For the libraries exploring these new options, I will be interested to see if they end up sticking with one primary fulfillment service or if they’ll create more customized collection management systems across multiple services.
Federal Library Legislation Updates
Kelly Jensen has updates on the status of three federal censorship bills currently making their way through Congress. All of them still have legislative hurdles to clear, but we absolutely need to continue telling our representatives that they need to vote NO on all three of them. And in addition to these three bills, the FCC wants to eliminate the e-Rate program that provides affordable internet access to schools and libraries because students “are getting too much screen time.” (Obviously, this is an intentional attack on public education and digital access, but they’re not going to say that part out loud.) Just like with all of her legislative updates, Kelly has actions you can take to voice your support for the e-Rate program.
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National Park Visitors Protest Trump’s Historical Erasure
Okay, this isn’t directly related to libraries, but I think it’s a good example of how people are finding new ways to push back against this administration. Last year, Trump told national park visitors to report any displays or exhibits that said “negative” things about Americans (past or present). 35,000 public comments were submitted, but the AP recently learned that most of these comments were criticisms of the administration and their efforts to erase history. And when you consider that over 320 million people visited national park sites, the comments only represent 0.01% of all visitors. Fight back any way you can, folks, and remember that this administration is extremely ineffective.