As a bookseller, Hank Jones, owner of Putnam Book Center in Carmel, N.Y., got frustrated trying to locate books for customers who couldn't remember the titles or authors, just that they'd heard about them on NPR or the Today show. In 2001 he created TitleSmart, a database to track books in the news.
After Jones closed his store late last year and moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., he began revamping TitleSmart, which was originally available only in a kiosk. This spring he introduced a behind-the-counter version of the database, which allows booksellers to search for books by title, author, ISBN or reviewer as well as by media—radio, newspaper or television—that have mentioned the title or the author.
Although Jones has only just begun test marketing the new program, several booksellers have already subscribed. "We can't watch all the television shows ourselves. It saves us time," says Joan Scott, owner of the Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, N.C. "I think he's found a good niche." Jones plans to continue to add more data. "We'll be able to break things down regionally and nationally," he says.
Fifteen bookstores originally installed TitleSmart kiosks when they were first introduced in 2001, and most still have them. "I made a number of mistakes in the rollout of the kiosks," Jones told PW. "We initially had music on it like a commercial. The guys at Northshire Bookstore had the kiosk right by the counter and it drove them nuts." He plans further modifications to the kiosks and the behind-the-counter TitleSmart. The latter is intended to satisfy the concerns of booksellers who found the kiosks too impersonal and wanted more face-to-face time with their customers.
