ALA Midwinter 2012: Better World Books and Ingram Team Up to Create Library Revenue

Under a partnership launched Friday at ALA Midwinter in Dallas, Ingram Content Group will allow its library customers to gain credits in their Ingram account from book sales made through Better World Books.

Normally, Better World Books, based in Mishawaka, IN, picks up surplus, low-circulating books from more than 3,000 libraries and sells them on a consignment basis. The proceeds are split between the company, the library, and various literacy projects of a library’s choosing.

Under the new partnership, libraries that work with Ingram can register for Better World Books service, and then a percentage of each sale is also remitted to Ingram which then credits individual library accounts. The credits can be used to purchase new materials through Ingram.

“Our development of this new revenue tool for libraries will not only help libraries purchase new material that they might not have had funding for in the past, but it will also give material that may have been discarded a new purpose,” said Rich Rosy, the vice president and general manager of Ingram’s library services. Ingram is based in Nashville, TN.

Since its founding in 2003, Better World Books has generated over $10 million dollars in unrestricted funding for libraries and literacy, according to Diane Maier, the company’s marketing manager.

“If we can provide additional services that expand how libraries can do more and help their communities then we’re happy,” Maier said.

Ingram was also previewing the redesign of ipage, the company’s search and order platform.

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