Based on Chris Anderson's long tail concept, it seems to me that it is difficult for the average public library to take advantage of this area. More so than ever, in today's economic time, libraries are working with reduced funding. Reduced funding means a lessened ability to offer patrons titles that are "off the beaten path." There are still ways public libraries can attempt to meet patron needs (ILL is an example), but even with these systems in place it's not always possible. Reduced funding makes little possible.
Companies like Amazon, eBay, and other online sources, are better positioned to reap the benefits of the long tail effect since there is essentially no physical location to speak of. The library will always be a physical space despite the added ability to access ebooks on utilize online databases and resources.
The best that public libraries can hope for in term of meeting patron needs (and trying to ride that long tail) is a strong member consortium where resources can be shared.
Agree that Amazon, eBay, and other online sources are well positioned to reap benefits.
ReplyDeleteNow, the existence of this online services that can easily accessed and filtered makes it also possible for librarians to point patrons to "long tail" content without needing to own it.