
Rent Books Netflix-style with Online Book Rental - robg
http://www.bookswim.com/
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s3graham
I've been telling people for years that libraries should do this for extra
money. I'll be really curious to see how they do.

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Stubbs
I've heard of this before, and my first comment was "Why can't I just go to
the library?"

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briansmith
Why do so many people rent movies from Blockbuster instead of checking them
out from the library?

One advantage of Blockbuster is that they usually have many copies of new
releases in stock, as soon as they are released. A lot of libraries do not get
movies until several days or weeks after the DVD has been released (if ever).
And, they tend to have very few copies. The library lets you check out new
releases for longer than Blockbuster allows you to rent them. Plus,
Blockbuster's rental fee discourages many people from renting, whereas the
library's cost-free nature encourages gluttonous movie consumption. All of
this means that it is unlikely that you will get the movie you want when you
show up at the library, but you will probably get it at Blockbuster.

Are book rentals analogous to movie rentals? I think nobody can say for sure,
until we've seen what happens with these book-rental outfits.

For a long time, I've wanted to try to set up premium library services.
Imagine that somebody pays a membership fee to a library, say $25.00 a month.
In return for that fee, they get to keep books three times as long as non-
premium members. In addition, they get online checkout with delivery services
(by mail or in person).

Plus, they can direct 25% or so of their membership fees towards the purchase
of specific books. For example, if I was a member for a year, I would have
12x$25*(25%)=$75 of purchasing power. I could order $75 of books through the
library's website. The library could purchase the books and have them
delivered directly to me, but I would have to return them to the library at
the end of the (extended) check-out period.

Or, if I don't want to return a book (one that I forced the library to order,
or one they already have), I could buy the copy I already have checked-out
from the library. The library could use this money to purchase a new copy of
the book, or it could use the money to purchase a different book instead.

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Stubbs
"Why do so many people rent movies from Blockbuster instead of checking them
out from the library?"

No doubt because the stock they hold is woefully out of date and even then
they don't carry the blockbusters. Library budgets just don't stretch to
holding the same stock that Blockbuster can afford.

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jamess
Oy Vey.

You know why netflix didn't happen before everyone had DVD players? Because
VHS tapes are bulky and heavy. They cost more to send, and don't fit through
many letter boxes. I can't imagine how you can possibly do this with any
reasonable profit margin, and it isn't any more convenient than simply buying
the books.

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s3graham
I'd guess because they're assuming/hoping most people are slower to read books
so there'll be less back and forth?

Does seem like a big problem though. Local distrib centres might help once
they were sufficiently "big".

