BookmarkResearch, A Division of LYP

2007 Library Buying Decisions, Vol. I: Furnishings

By Mary Alice Davidson
Research Director, BookmarkResearch

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

FOCUS
The findings in this report are the first in a series of surveys that uncover many dimensions of librarian purchasing. This study focused on library furnishings, including storage and display fixtures, furniture, and shelving. Data were collected through an online survey of selected library professionals, the responses provide unique information on the purchasing practices of recipients’ libraries, their involvement in purchasing and recommending products and services, and their views on and use of specific industry suppliers.

METHOD
The survey sample of 7,396 was selected from the LYP database. Each received an advance e-mail invitation to respond to the survey, which was sent by e-mail five days later. The survey remained open for two weeks, and a reminder e-mail was sent to the sample five days before it closed.

As a result of this process, 1,849 recipients responded to the survey, representing a 25 percent response rate. This high rate of response underscores the legitimacy of the findings and provides numerous ways to cross reference results.

The survey was separated into the following three parts:

1. About YOU and YOUR LIBRARY
2. About FURNISHING YOUR LIBRARY
3. About SUPPLIERS AND BUYING DECISIONS

The following summary highlights selected responses. The full study, with breakouts by the many factors of the study, is available from BookmarkResearch.

RESULTS

1. About YOU and YOUR LIBRARY
This section of the survey focused on the demographics of the respondents. The following highlights from respondents’ replies are among the noteworthy findings. Of the respondents, 55 percent were categorized as library management, holding such titles as director, administrator, dean, or manager. Another 43 percent were librarians or on a library’s professional staff. Many indicated specific titles, such as library media specialist, curator, or automation librarian. The remaining 2 percent of respondents were either library support, such as assistants or technicians, or suppliers, including consultants and architects. Respondents ovetwhelmingly represented library purchasing decision makers (95 percent).

• The majority of the respondents, 34 percent, represented public libraries. The special library community was well represented by 22 percent of the respondents. Academic and school libraries were represented in equal numbers, both 21 percent. The remaining number, 2 percent, were consultants or worked in district offices.
• The geographic spread of the respondents was fairly even among the Midwest (35 percent), South (25 percent), North (24 percent), and West (16 percent).
• One fourth of the respondents (26 percent) were responsible for a 2005 operating budget of up to $49,999. Another fourth (26 percent) managed 2005 budgets of more than $1 million.
• By far the most frequently used resource for making decisions on purchasing library products and services was talking to colleagues (80 percent). Other resources mentioned frequently were talking to exhibitors at conferences (64 percent) and referring to trade journals (60 percent).

2. About FURNISHING YOUR LIBRARY
This section focused on specific products purchased by respondents’ libraries in the past and their intent to purchase in the future. It also quantified the dollar amounts of past purchases and the future plans for library furnishings expenditures.

• The furniture product purchase most frequently by respondents was chairs (64 percent), followed by desks (41 percent), workstations (40 percent), steel shelving (33 percent), and work or study tables (32 percent). Carrels and periodical display and storage fixtures were each purchased by 29 percent of the study group.
• Of those respondents who purchased library furnishings in 2005, the greatest number (9 percent> spent between $15,000 and $49,999. However, nearly one third of respondents had not purchased library furnishings in 2005.
• While most respondents felt their furnishings budgets for 2007 would remain the same as in past years (38 percent), 21 percent believed that budget would increase, while 19 percent felt it would decrease.
• Respondents felt their libraries would purchase furnishings in the future mainly because their library intended to add new technology (69 percent), to expand the number of books in the collection (49 percent), and to renovate public spaces (32 percent).

• In addition to cost or price, the three most important considerations for respondents when selecting a furnishing supplier were the product’s durability (78 percent), comfort (66 percent), and ease of upkeep (65 percent).
• The vast majority (66 percent) expected their library furnishings to last at least eleven years.

3. About SUPPLIERS AND BUYING DECISIONS

This section asked respondents to select those companies with which they were most familiar, had done business with in the past, and would do business with in the future. It also looked at buying habits and the factors that influence buying decisions.

• Respondents were asked to react to a list of 49 companies that supply library furnishings products. All companies were recognized by the respondents and only one was not being used currently. All would be recommended overwhelmingly by respondents for future needs.
• Nearly all respondents recognized four companies: DEMCO Library Interiors (92 percent), Gaylord (90 percent), Highsmith (88 percent), and Brodart Library Supplies (84 percent).
• When asked what companies’ furnishings products their libraries currently use or maintain, the same four companies were selected but in a different order: DEMCO Library Interiors (51 percent), Brodart Library Supplies (43 percent), Gaylord (42 percent), and Highsmith (40 percent).
• When asked whether their libraries had purchased furnishings from a consumer supplier, nearly one third (31 percent) replied in the affirmative.
• Price was the primary reason given for purchasing furnishings from a retail consumer supplier followed by customer service and aesthetics.

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BookmarkResearch, A Division of LYP

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