In many countries, the series of actors \u2013 and actions \u2013 that take a book from idea to bookshelf is known as the \u2018book chain\u2019.<\/p>\n
The metaphor is attractive because of its simplicity, with a book to be published passed from writer, to publisher, to distributor, to bookshops and libraries, and to readers.<\/p>\n
It is also used for planning policy interventions to support culture, with each actor benefitting from different supports \u2013 grants, tax reductions, or other tools.<\/p>\n
Of course there is disruption. Plenty of authors simply bypass publishers simply by self-publishing. The work of distributors and bookshops (and some elements of the work of libraries) is subject to competition from the internet.<\/p>\n
What is more worrying \u2013 as has been highlighted in online discussions in Senegal recently \u2013 is a tendency to forget libraries. This blog explains both why libraries are essential throughout the book chain, and indeed, why they make it unique.<\/p>\n
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Support at Every Step: Libraries Across the Book Chain <\/strong><\/p>\n In the most simple terms, libraries are a market for publishers \u2013 in some cases, they are even the predominant ones (notably for scholarly works). However, this is to forget the other ways they provide help.<\/p>\n Authors \u2013 who tend to have a very positive attitude towards libraries \u2013 benefit from not only form the possibility to carry out research, but also to meet with some of the most passionate readers out there, and to be discovered by new audiences. Given that, alongside the desire to earn a living, simply being read is a high priority, this makes libraries into natural friends of authors.<\/p>\n For publishers, libraries are also effectively free advertising space, and make it feasible for them to produce a wider variety of content than would be possible if only working through bookshops. Libraries are also key players in developing the book-buyers of the future by encouraging literacy and a love of reading.<\/p>\n Similarly, libraries also be a useful source of feedback about demand for individual books, complementing that provided by bookshops. They are also are a vital part of the overall infrastructure for books \u2013 through running ISBN agencies, managing national biographies, and ensuring the preservation of works for future generations.<\/p>\n For bookshops, where perhaps the risk of competition can be seen as highest, there is in fact complementarity. Various studies from the US have shown that not only are people using libraries also more likely to use bookshops, but that discovering a new author in a library often leads to buying a second book at the bookshop.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Making it Unique: Why Libraries Make the Book Chain Special<\/strong><\/p>\n What is missing from the previous set of actors are of course readers \u2013 libraries\u2019 primary focus.<\/p>\n Indeed, it is this focus on meeting reader needs, first and foremost, that makes libraries and the book chain as a whole so special. No other sector of the creative industries has such a central focus on ensuring that it is not only about profit, but also about access.<\/p>\n This makes sense. Literacy is a core life-skill, and it is clear that a love of books and reading tends to make for better chances in life.<\/p>\n