Primary Research Group has published Survey of Library Experiences with Shelf-Ready Vendor Services, ISBN 1-57440-189-0.

This 87-page report presents data from nearly sixty public and academic libraries, with results broken out by size, type of library, and other variables. The report looks at library spending on shelf-ready services, what kinds of materials receive shelf-ready services, what types of shelf-ready services libraries are using, and how happy they are with them, among other issues.

Just a few of the many findings from this report are:

• Nearly 15% of libraries in the sample have been deterred from using shelf-ready processing services by the possible delay in receiving ordered materials
• 62.5% of libraries currently using shelf-ready services use spine lable shelf-ready service
• Juvenile materials are excluded from shelf-ready labeling by 14.81% of all libraries in the sample
• Libraries in the sample estimate that a mean of 35.34% of their technical services work is outsourced to shelf-ready service providers
• Book jobbers, subscription agents, and other major content providers and distributors account for a mean of 59.37% of spending on shelf-ready services among libraries in the sample
• Upon receiving shelf-ready materials, 59.38% of all libraries (including 54.44% of academic libraries) route these materials to Cataloging/Processing to complete processing and ensure quality control standards
• 91.67% of libraries in the sample, including 93.33% of academic libraries and 88.89% of public libraries, report an average rate of 0-3% of physical processing errors on shipments received by the library

The report is available for $89.50 directly from Primary Research Group or from major book distributors. PDF versions and site licenses are currently available and the print edition will be available on March 2, 2012. To view a table of contents and sample data, or to place an order, please visit our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com.