This session by Caroline ??? from Coutts<\/p>\n
Coutts is the largest approval vendor in Canada and the UK, and they own the myilibrary platform – so as well as competing with other vendors like YBP, they also are competitors with ebrary and other e-book platforms.<\/p>\n
Coutts part of the Ingram Book Group, which also has a number of other ‘digital’ arms – including print on demand, and digital asset management.<\/p>\n
Caroline starting with a quote<\/p>\n
“Most strategies are built on specific beliefs about the future. Unfrotunately the future is deeply unpredictable” – Michael E. Raynor, The Strategy paradox<\/p>\n
Caroline noting we have moved from wondering e-books have a future, to how we work with them – no questions that they are here to stay.<\/p>\n
Caroline saying that one of the most common questions she hears are “What are other libraries doing?” – she is saying that there are a number of answers:<\/p>\n
Caroline saying:<\/p>\n
Caroline mentioning pros and cons of going straight to the publishers:<\/p>\n
You can also purchase from a subscription agent – although Caroline doesn’t know of any library actually doing this. She runs very very quickly through some pros and cons, but hasn’t got much time, so skipped it mostly.<\/p>\n
Finally, via an aggregator:<\/p>\n
Also, can buy from a book vendor – they have a lot of experience with all the things Mike listed in his previous talk.<\/p>\n
Caroline, not suprisingly, seemed to favour the options around an aggregator (i.e. myilibrary) and vendors (e.g. Coutts)<\/p>\n
Overall Caroline’s talk was good, but at the end felt it was a pitch for business for Coutts. Don’t mind this, but felt she over-egged it a bit, and I didn’t need this to understand the point.<\/p>\n