Active Stock Management in Stirling Libraries : Taking Care of Business Robert Ruthven

Background Stirling Council Libraries Population 88,000 Area 8 th largest in Scotland Large sparsely populated rural hinterland Urban centres mainly south and east Diverse mix of affluent and deprived communities 16 Libraries 2 Mobile Libraries

Population 88,000

Area 8 th largest in Scotland

Large sparsely populated rural hinterland

Urban centres mainly south and east

Diverse mix of affluent and deprived communities

16 Libraries

2 Mobile Libraries

The problem; declining book loans

Trends from 2007

Trends from 2007 (6 mth rolling average)

What have we done? Recognition that there was a problem Stock Selection Group Display and Marketing Stock Promotion Group Evidence Based Stock Management: SmartSM

Recognition that there was a problem

Stock Selection Group

Display and Marketing

Stock Promotion Group

Evidence Based Stock Management: SmartSM

Recognition that there was a problem Declining issues Key Copies no longer available Stagnant or declining bookfund Unfocused purchase of multiple copies Too much dead stock

Declining issues

Key Copies no longer available

Stagnant or declining bookfund

Unfocused purchase of multiple copies

Too much dead stock

Stock Selection Group Involves staff from across the service Radically updating stock selection policy Focussed attention on stock Changed attitudes radically

Involves staff from across the service

Radically updating stock selection policy

Focussed attention on stock

Changed attitudes radically

Selection Central Fiction fund Staff selecting for whole service Bestseller standing orders Supplier selection considered Experimental fund

Central Fiction fund

Staff selecting for whole service

Bestseller standing orders

Supplier selection considered

Experimental fund

Rotation Stock moving round every 3 months whether used or not Stays permanently at 6 th Location Rotation numbers based on issues per library Every library heads at least one rotation and is 2 nd on another and so on roughly proportional to annual issues Central library heads 7 rotations out 39 in total

Stock moving round every 3 months whether used or not

Stays permanently at 6 th Location

Rotation numbers based on issues per library

Every library heads at least one rotation and is 2 nd on another and so on roughly proportional to annual issues

Central library heads 7 rotations out 39 in total

Sample Rotations

Display and Marketing Marketing Team Improving library appearance Brand image Signage and headers Less stock but with higher visibility Display furniture and face-on display Book festival

Marketing Team

Improving library appearance

Brand image

Signage and headers

Less stock but with higher visibility

Display furniture and face-on display

Book festival

Display and Marketing: Fallin Library

Stock Promotion Group Stock promotion Policy Readers’ groups and Wiki Targeted groups; emergent readers, ethnic groups Promotional Buys; national initiatives

Stock promotion Policy

Readers’ groups and Wiki

Targeted groups; emergent readers, ethnic groups

Promotional Buys; national initiatives

Pro-active stock management Dead stock Grubby stock Targets Promotion

Dead stock

Grubby stock

Targets

Promotion

Evidence Based Stock Management: SmartSM Dead stock and targets Grubby stock and targets Stock swaps Project Plan

Dead stock and targets

Grubby stock and targets

Stock swaps

Project Plan

Stock Editing Schedule

What’s still to do? Early stages with Adult Non-fiction Earlier stages with Junior Large Print and audiobooks Audio-Visual Start again

Early stages with Adult Non-fiction

Earlier stages with Junior

Large Print and audiobooks

Audio-Visual

Start again

The Starting Point; Declining Book Loans Now Reversed

The Results of Stirling’s Efforts: Fiction Loans

Taking Care of Business Robert Ruthven [email_address]