Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fifth General Meeting of the American Library Association / Held at Kaaterskill, N. Y., June 23-28, 1913

by Unknown

18. The libraries state that

They have a right to protest against the increasing charges made to them for passing of the books of the publishers through the hands of the booksellers, and that some concession should be made in the discounts now granted.

19. In this, the libraries should consider they are not a trade organization, who, like the booksellers, depend on their trade for a living. Publisher and bookseller are one in interest—producer and distributor, and it is economically proper that the publisher's product should pass through the hands of the bookseller, and to whom?—to their clientele, the public. What relation does the library have to the bookseller, other than as a buyer, the same as the rest of the community? It is claimed that libraries are large buyers collectively, but the general public are larger buyers collectively, by many millions of dollars. If the library theory holds good, would not the same theory hold good if the citizens of each community were to combine in their purchasing and demand discounts accordingly? Would this not result in the booksellers' sudden and complete annihilation, instead of a gradual one, as it has been?

20. As to the "increasing charges," there is no more increase to the libraries than to the general public. What brought about these "increasing charges?" The necessity of self-preservation of both publisher and bookseller. Till the beginning of the net system and for some years thereafter books were published at the traditional prices of more than fifty years ago (and later a period of ruinous competition to the bookseller) the discounts to the trade remaining about the same, and this in spite of the fact that the cost of everything pertaining to book-making and its selling had greatly increased, and had not advanced in price, while almost every other article of merchandise, labor, material and the necessities of life, has greatly increased in cost, and increased in selling price.

21. The libraries state:

We should regret to have the booksellers take action which would give the libraries the impression that their trade was a burden to the bookseller, that your members required a larger profit from them than what is amply satisfactory to the jobbing trade and many dealers.

22. The booksellers do not feel that the libraries are a burden to them. They are anxious to have trading relations with them, but on a mutually satisfactory basis. The library does not need profit for its existence, supported as it is, but the bookseller needs it for his very existence. Were the libraries aware of the actual facts of the case, they would undoubtedly learn to their surprise that the trade done by "the jobbing trade and many dealers" was anything but satisfactory, and were their dealings with the libraries closely analyzed they would find they had made small profit, if not loss, on the total of the books sold to them. The dealers have only shown existing conditions, and have asked for relief.

23. The libraries are not sole buyers of net books. A very large proportion of their purchases are of non-net books, which are sold to them at little or no margin of profit, and at the same discount as the booksellers get. This is ruinous competition.

24. Why then do the trade desire library business under existing conditions? They do not seek this business for its profit-making on general publications, regular and net, for that is almost nil, but for such stock as can be bought at much better discount than the regular trade rates, such as jobs and the like, that they can sell the libraries, and also for the real value of the libraries to the bookseller that their orders often enable him to dispose of certain stock—even at cost—which might take a long time to dispose of. Finally, there is a certain amount of pride—surprising as it may seem—that the bookseller has. He wants to sell the library in his own community, he wants to do all the business of his community, and he feels it keenly that his library is the only one with whom he cannot do business, except at a very small profit or loss; and which trade goes to some other town or state.