Surely whether this works in an individual authority or not rather misses the point, and especially when the targets appear already to be library users. I'm not saying that I have worked out all the economics, or dare I say business model, for such a service, but the aim here is that as a national service some economy of scale can be achieved while we may be able to reach out to people in our local communities who feel that public libraries have nothing to offer them. Also, partnership with experts in delivery such as Amazon may increase exposure.
I am curious about LoveFilm's ability to generate a revenue stream with this kind of business model--how many people have used the service? Which type of subscription is most popular? What about stock that isn't returned? etcetc
Co-East looked into home delivery years ago, ot just postal but through a delivery service. As with the Wiltshire example, there were concerns about delivery cost and stock retention.
|