Discussing what effect PDA will have on libraries in the future is largely opinion. For the profusely negative person, PDA is an affront to the concept of libraries that will surely undermine them. The more positive person will note the effectiveness and ease for the user. While only time will tell if the sunny or gloom n' doom scenarios will play out, what can be assessed is the effect that PDA has already had and whether or not that is positive.
Other posts on this blog have already discussed the good and the bad of PDA and what might happen. But what has already changed, has it changed for the better and is it likely to change back?
The most dramatic change is not about libraries so much as it is about publishers. Publishers have been reliant on a system that is not really efficient. Publishers push a book and then move on. There may be no choice but to get access by buying lots of what publishers have decided is important. They have always sold their materials upfront and cared less about what happens down the road for that book, instead focusing on other editions of the same title.
The problem PDA presents, is that patrons will decide what is bought and when. Publishers will have a lessened ability to sell things in advance. In this way, PDA has already changed the landscape. Patrons have more of a choice about what gets bought. Whether this is good or bad remains to be seen, but publishers have relied on their ability to push and promote things without others having such a good look at alternatives. Much like the music industry, the publishing industry has been caught by some rapid changes in tech and instead of crying about how unfair that is, they will have to adapt or die.
PDA does have an effect on booksales and even its proponents admit to this. But publishers can take advantage of the situation and use PDA as a marketing tool. Publishers like Random House are using better metadata to increase the profiles of their catalogs and allowing for feedback and links to similar books for the patron who also has the ability to review items. In the future, libraries may even get commissions for referring patrons to other sites.
Some of this solves the issues about libraries helping patrons discover new things, but it also raises the issue about the increasing commercialization of the library with its connections to markets like amazon.com.
Publishers are trying to make books more discoverable by upping their profiles in library catalogs which is a good start for them. It also has advantages for the patron although they run the risk of becoming a consumer. This is not necessarily the end of libraries as we know them, but the landscape has changed. What other alterations are likely in the future?
References
Anderson, Rick. "What Patron-Driven Acquisition (PDA) Does and Doesn’t Mean: An FAQ." The Scholarly Kitchen.
N.p., 31 May 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2011/05/31/what-patron-driven-acquisition-pda-does-and-doesnt-mean-an-faq/
Esposito, Joseph. "The Problem of Discovery for Patron-driven Acquisitions (PDA)." The Scholarly Kitchen.
N.p., 12 June 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2012/06/12/the-problem-of-discovery-for-patron-driven-acquisitions-pda/
You're right that PDA is changing the impact publishers have on acquisitions and I agree that time will tell whether PDA is a good thing, a bad thing, or just something to take in moderation. Publishing houses will certainly have to change their methods or be left behind, and using PDA as a marketing strategy is a likely option. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteReading this entry made me realize just how much the dynamic is shifting in favor of the patron, when the library-patron relationship is considered. Once upon a time, it seemed that patrons were soley at the mercy of whatever their library collected in terms of what to check-out. However, with PDA and with technology becoming such a giant in access of information, patrons now are really guiding collection acquisition through what needs they have that need to be met. Great entry!
ReplyDeleteReading about the changes PDA is driving and the arguments for and against reminded me of when I studied “Just-in-Time” inventories while working on my BBA many years ago. Only instead of the Library being the one doing the ordering, as a company would order inventory, the patron (or customer of a company) is doing the request for the order. I have mixed feelings for this process. Yes, it gets books that the patron wants into their hands quickly, but I can see potential problems as others have mentioned. I think that by involving the community with the implementation of this process, especially with setting up guidelines and policy, can ensure the library has a well-rounded collection while still providing access to PDA.
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