Does your bookstore have it? (Calling BookSense stores!)
Introducing our new series: "29 Things You Didn't Know you Could Do with LibraryThing" our attempt to introduce cheesy "style magazine" graphics and arbitrary numbers to the LibraryThing blog!*Today's topic is Bookstore Integration. Did you know that LibraryThing integrates with local bookstores? Basically, we'll tell you if your local bookstore has a copy of a book in the store, and what it's going for. It's free for you and for the bookstore. It's particularly easy for the bookstore to set up.
So far, we only have three bookstores in the system:
- Porter Square Bookstore, Cambridge, MA
- Shaman Drum Bookshop, Ann Arbor, MI
- City Lights, Sylva, NC
We need bookstores! We'd love to get more bookstores involved. In particular, any independent that uploads its inventory to BookSense can upload the same file to LibraryThing—no problem. If you aren't a BookSense member, but can still export inventory data, let us know. Basically we need ISBN, price and quantity updated at least once per week.At one point we explored some "high-level" discussion but, like so many "deals," nothing came of it. Since the whole thing is basically free promotion for local bookstores, and a service to local customers, we hope that we can get more bookstores, and even bookstore chains involved without another conference call with a corporate marketing director!
As stated, this is a free servie. Like our Early Reviewers program—free buzz for publishers, free books for readers—we aim to do nothing more than make LibraryThing more useful and fun for everybody**. We succeed if LibraryThing gets better, which "aligns" our interests much better than if we negotiating complex deals.
Email tim@librarything.com for more info! Please note that this is a local bookstore offer. We're not soliciting online bookstores to send their inventories. AbeBooks.com and BookFinder exists already!
*Why 29? Because it looked better than 27 or 28!
**This also applies to our recent movie-ticket give-away, although in exchange for the promotion New Line Cinema did agree to cast Abby as lead in a future production.
Labels: booksense, bookstore integration, bookstores
posted by Tim at 2:43 PM
14 Comments:
"At one point we explored some 'high-level' discussion but, like so many 'deals,' nothing came of it."
This makes me sad. "Tell readers how they can buy books at our stores? But...why?"
Have you thought about doing a conventional snail-mailing of this request to a bunch of independent bookstores? If they're not coming to you, then go to them. I think they'd do it if they knew about it.
Yeah, we just don't have the time to push a free feature like this. Anyway, most bookstores don't have systems that can export like this. How bookstores aren't on the web is another topic for another day...
It would be great to see some independent Australian bookshops take up this option too.
Here here. We received emails of interest from about five stores so far, all US.
Is there a form letter we can e-mail to bookstores about this feature?
Unfortunately, I don't believe I have any booksense bookstores in my area and the one independent I know here is probably not set up for this sort of thing.
However, there is a giant independent back home I suspect might be more capable of this and would like to let them know about it. But, of course, I'm too lazy to write something myself. ;)
Bluetongue: I'm keen to see Australian bookstores take it up too. I bashed off a quick email to one of the staff at my favourite book store when Tim posted this, though I might try some more official channels too.
Point your favourite book stores at this post!
Unfortunately, none of the second hand bookstores down my way seem to have any intention of ever putting their inventory into a computer. A huge pity because I know I could spend a week in at least a couple of them without feeling like I really knew what they had lying about.
Sounds like something that Ottakars in the UK might have done ... if they hadn't been swallowed by the giant Waterstones.
I wish to reinforce the call for Australian bookstores to come to the LibraryThing party. I think it is a great idea. If I may mention names I would love to see the TS Bookshop in Russel Street Melbourne join up. This is one of the most comprehensive esoteric bookstores in Australia.
This is one email address I have for them- tsbookshop@netspace.net.au
I don't quite know how to let them know about this myself.
Good luck; it’s a great idea!
I'd like to second Kim's call for a form letter of some sort, or at least a document setting forth the info we need to give the stores. There's a local chain here, on BookSense, that I'd like to approach, but I don't know how to go about it.
I e-mailed my favorite independent bookstore, The Tudor Bookshop, in Kingston, PA.
http://www.tudorbookshop.com/
I hope they'll take the time to look at the site and consider coming on board. They are a BookSense shop, and they have a web presence, although no inventory on line.
I know there's been a call for a form letter and I'll share what I sent to a couple of the bookstores I frequent in the Metro NYC area. The email is not perfect, but feel free to tweak it for your needs...
As a [NAME] customer (where else can I find presents for *all* the
hard-to-shop-for people on my gift list?) and a member of LibraryThing.com, I wanted to let you know about a new feature on
their site that I'd love to see [NAME] participate in. The gist
is that local bookstores sign up (for free) and export their inventory
data to LibraryThing, so users can check prices on the books they love
or would love to read at their local bookstore. I, personally, like
the idea because it would keep me supporting all my local bookstores
-- including [NAME] -- while having the convenience of some of the
bigger online stores.
Please check it out here: [LINK]. I hope you'll consider signing up!
Thanks,
[SIGNATURE & CONTACT INFO]
Thanks wunderhund! I just added your letter, plus a draft that Lindsey wrote, to WikiThing. Check it out, make edits, etc.
Why not save money from textbooks purchasing? I get 2 textbooks from a online bookstore and save me $200+. All the textbooks are brand new. That's great. You may visit the web to see any help.
http://www.cocomartini.com/
Post a Comment
<< Home