“Every library wants to engage with more of their community,” says Michael Bills, director of sales and marketing for Baker & Taylor’s digital products. “The problem is, libraries don’t have limitless funding.”
But what if technology could help bridge that gap?
That’s the power behind Baker & Taylor’s innovative new Pop Up Library program—a low cost way for any library “to achieve greater engagement, and create a larger presence in a library’s community.”
The Pop Up Library program works like this: your library partners with a local business or government organization—a coffee shop, perhaps, or a hospital waiting room—to host a Pop Up Library Wi-Fi network device in that location. The device is easy to set up—and easy for the community to use. When individuals join the free, library-branded Wi-Fi network, they get instant access to the library’s digital collection, through Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 platform—no library card needed, and no app download required.
Users can check out an e-book instantly using a smart phone device or a computer, read directly within their browser. And, readers can even save the book for later within the browser’s cache for the duration of the library’s check out period.
For years, libraries have come up with inventive ideas to reach deeper into their communities—bookmobiles, temporary branch locations, even book vending machines. But Pop Up Library, Baker & Taylor officials say, is the most efficient, affordable option yet.
Interested in learning more? Baker & Taylor representatives will be on hand in the lounge throughout the show to answer any questions. Find out more about how the Pop Up Library program works, and how it can benefit your library, and more importantly, your community.
“The central role that libraries play in boosting literacy is one of the greatest accomplishments of the institution,” Bills adds. “Baker & Taylor is proud to help libraries achieve this calling.”
