Baker & Taylor has developed a new Web site that, beginning in October, will allow customers to order directly from B&T. The new site, www.btol.com, will feature a database that includes all book, music and video products offered by the wholesaler. The site comes shortly after B&T reorganized its operations to become more unified (News, Aug. 2) and, according to B&T v-p of marketing Connie Koury, reflects B&T's efforts to present the wholesaler as one company. B&T's older sites, www.baker-taylor.com and www.btent.com, will automatically link to the new address.
The new site is "more customer focused," Koury said, noting that customers will choose their customer type from tabs labeled "Library," "Retailer," "Supplier" or "International." Beginning next month, customers will be able to search for products by ISBN, UPC, title, author or artist. Normal discounts will apply to all orders placed online, Koury noted, adding that B&T will not use the site to sell directly to individual consumers.
The site will feature price and availability checking that permits users to receive up-to-the-minute information on the availability of books as well as prices. Registered users also will be able to download MARC record files associated with their B&T shipment, rather than waiting for computer disks to arrive, as is the current practice. In addition, by going to www.btol.com, users will be able to link to other B&T services, such as Replica Books and Title Source II.
