Librarians: new producers, new markets, new taste makers

Chris Anderson has some interesting ideas about how our culture and economy are changing. Specifically, he opines that the economy is moving away from a small number of mainstream products and markets to a large number of niches. He identifies three forces that are creating new business opportunities in these new niche-driven markets:

1. Democratization of production;
2. Democratization of distribution; and
3. Connection of supply and demand.

Democratization of production facilitates production because it extends the ability to create to individuals. An example of this is the personal computer, which has provided individuals with the opportunity to self-publish materials. For librarians, opportunities to be new producers also exist, although many libraries may not yet be capitalizing on them. Libraries and Friends groups can now publish their own Patron Bill of Rights, Strategic Plan, Fair Use and other Policies, Bylaws, Minutes of Meetings, etc. and publish these documents on their websites or wikis. Libraries can also encourage businesses and individuals to publish their work by hosting workshops in Word, Excel and Microsoft Publisher or on how to use social software. They can also teach individuals about self-publishing programs available on-line through software like LibraryThing or Greatreads.

Democratization of distribution opens up new markets by cutting costs. Libraries have already done this by creating consortia for the sharing of some resources. However, libraries should also consider resource sharing for items like DVDs, music and computer games to enlarge selection at less cost.

Librarians can be vital in providing the last function cited by Anderson, that is, connecting supply and demand. They are constantly asked for recommendations by patrons. From working with other patrons, they develop a sense of what books are sought after by patrons. In this way, it is not really the librarians, but the patrons, that become the taste makers. In addition to informal methods, librarians can use surveys, either on-line or in the library. They can ask patrons to write reviews of books and post them on-line. They can also provide rankings of books based upon the data they receive.

All in all, librarians can make changes in the library based upon Anderson's insights that can benefit patrons and improve their experience with their library.