We’re trying to help a client market a book to libraries. He’s sending out a special offer to them. But my question is–at what time of year do libraries (college libraries and public libraries) receive their annual budgets/make their purchases?
Not a librarian, but since the Decatur Public Library puts books on the “New” shelves with stickers on them saying “New Arrival” year-round and non-stop, I would assume that they also purchase them year-round and non-stop. I can’t visualize them buying books once a year and then storing them upstairs somewhere and then metering them out or something through the year.
Also, their “Rental” books are definitely what’s currently hot on the NY Times bestseller list, so they certainly don’t buy those only once a year.,
They may get their money once a year from the city, IOW, but I would assume that they’re actually acquiring books year-round.
For public libraries that will depend on the fiscal year of the locality. Fiscal years can start at any of the four quarters.
I believe many colleges use a fiscal year of July 1 - June 30 so that the entire normal academic year is within a single fiscal year.
However, both try very hard not to spend their book-buying budget at any one time since books appear irregularly throughout the year.
Your chances for getting a book to public libraries are vastly improved if you can get it accepted by one of the two leading distribution firms, Baker & Taylor or Ingram.
I’d try Ingram’s Library Services division. From my experience as the library division credit manager at Ingram, libraries buy books throughout the year, rationing their budgetted funds. If they have extra nearing their fiscal year end, they spend it before they lose it.
StG
We get our budget at the beginning of the fiscal year (July) but buy year-round from a variety of sources. We are, however, a large system.
ETA - we use Baker and Taylor but also get materials from whatever source we need to. (We use EBSCO for periodicals, if anybody cares. We also supplement by buying direct and even from the newsstand sometimes.)
FWIW, most libraries won’t care what kind of special offer he makes. By-and-large, libraries buy books that are in demand and/or have been well-reviewed, not books they get cut deals on. So, best advice to your client, get the book in front of the reviewers at Booklist, Kirkus, etc.
I’m well aware. I can only steer this juggernaut a bit, not stop it.
The book’s already been well-reviewed by Library Journal. But it’s an expensive art book that’s a tough sell. (My client doesn’t make things any easier.) He/We are trying as many avenues as we can. I just wanted to be sure that, before he sent out his offer, we didn’t hit librarians at a point in the year when they had no money to spend on books, especially expensive ones.
Thanks for the feedback.
I feel your pain. As others have indicated, it varies, but every library I’ve ever worked for has had a July-June fiscal year, and depending on what kind of year it’s been, there’s either nothing left by June or the selectors are buying their little hearts out trying to use up the last of the money to make sure they don’t get a decrease in funding next year.