Baker & Taylor Cease Operations

Like many of you, we were shaken by the news that Baker & Taylor has ceased operations. This affects thousands of Baker & Taylor information professionals and other workers who are now unemployed, and millions of readers in New Jersey who borrow books that libraries order from Baker & Taylor. The employees at Baker & Taylor, many of whom worked there for decades, provided vital services that benefited readers, authors, libraries, and publishers. The company was founded in 1828 and was a longtime fixture in New Jersey. There is a human cost, and we need to acknowledge it.

Many of you have contacted us for support in navigating this transition. The primary options for wholesalers (jobbers) that sell to libraries are Amazon, Brodart, and Ingram. While this is neither legal nor operational advice, and this information will likely change quickly, this is what we know today. We recognize that hundreds of New Jersey libraries rely on Baker & Taylor; our goal is to ensure that you can put new processes in place to acquire the materials that your community members want to read.

For those libraries with existing Brodart or Ingram accounts, you can continue to use their services as you have to this point. We expect that changes to accounts, such as adding processing or cataloging, or creating new accounts, may experience delays.

Amazon Business Prime for Libraries launched last month. NJLA hosted an Amazon Business Prime for Libraries book acquisition overview this past Wednesday, October 8. You can view the webinar, and review the New Jersey “Pay to Play” compliance documentation, on the NJLA drive Amazon folder. Amazon Business Prime is included in NJLA’s Enhanced Institutional Membership. Many of you know Tarita Murray from her decade-plus at Baker & Taylor; she is leading this initiative for Amazon. Libraries can also pay for Amazon Business Prime separately; for many libraries, the overall cost is less if you get it through NJLA, and you also get all of the other benefits of NJLA membership.

Brodart is creating new firm order accounts, and offers complimentary standing order programs. They are experiencing delays in setting up libraries due to volume, and new library customers must sign up for cataloging or processing as part of account initiation. Brodart is also creating new McNaughton leasing accounts, which has children’s, teen, and adult options. The minimum is 30 allowances (quota) per month. The New Jersey representative for Brodart:

Bennett Wilder
Brodart Library Services Consultant
(800) 233-8467, ext. 6387
(570) 337-0799
bennett.wilder@brodart.com

Ingram is accepting new accounts. Generally, set up is quick for book-only accounts and those that need simple pre-processing. Implementation time for new custom processing accounts varies depending on the complexity of service; existing accounts can continue to order shelf-ready materials. They also offer complimentary standing order programs as well as their inDemand subscription program. The New Jersey representatives for Ingram: 

Charles Ray
Sales Specialist
(615) 213-3394
charles.ray@ingramcontent.com

Erin Eggert
Ingram Sales Representative, East Coast
(615) 213-3139
erin.eggert@ingramcontent.com

Other print vendors that are worth considering:

• Barnes & Noble offers institutional membership that discounts the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) by 20%, along with &Classwork, a “platform for educators and administrators”. Contact your local Barnes & Noble to sign up. 

• Bookazine, based in Bayonne, NJ, offers materials for children, teens, and adults. 

• Follett offers public library sales for K–12 age ranges.

• Junior Library Guild offers curated, auto-ship programs for children’s and teen material.

• Libraria, the former Children’s Plus, offers public library sales for K–12 age ranges.

• Midwest Library Service offers materials for children, teens, and adults. Their representative for New Jersey (Northeast Region) is Trish Banta (banta@midwestls.com); Cindy Human (human@midwestls.com) is the regional manager. Their phone number is (800) 325-8833.

NJLA staff are committed to answering your questions, either directly or by connecting you to people who can. Other resources available to NJLA members include the Technical Services & Collection Development Section and Administration & Management Section mailing lists. As a reminder, NJLA members can join as many sections as they wish as part of their membership. For instructions on joining a section, consult FAQ: NJLA Group Member Communities. Most New Jersey library staff also have access to LibraryLinkNJ’s communication channels.

Section meetings are open to all NJLA members. For instance, the NJLA Technical Services & Collection Development Section meets monthly, via Zoom, on the third Friday of each month from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Join this section for updates on materials acquisition, and to learn about any special meetings they plan to host. This is also a good place to discuss transitioning your cataloging, processing, or other workflows that will be affected by Baker & Taylor’s closure.

We know this is a difficult time. We want you to get the support you need.

Brett Bonfield
Executive Director

Katy White
Associate Director