Macmillan Boycott as of 12/13/19
/RF apologizes for being dilatory about reporting Carmi Parker’s last update on the Macmillan boycott but wishes to catch up because it has news of interest.
10 more systems joined since the previous update:
State Library of Kansas—2,910,000 users
Florence County Library System (SC)—138,000
Colleton County Memorial Library (SC)—239,000
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (NJ) 300,000
York County Library (SC)—5274,000
Oconee County Public Library (SC)—478,000
Greenwich Library (CT_—363,000
Cranston Public Library—682,000
Marion County Library System (SC)—331,000
Horry County Library System (SC)—344,000
Look here for a complete list.
While compiling total numbers is tricky, it seems safe to say that the boycotting libraries serve at least one tenth of the total U.S. Population.
Carmi adds:
I also wanted to share with you this interesting tactic by San Francisco Public Library, which uses Bibliocommons as a PAC. It has edited its MARC records so that the catalog communicates to patrons about the embargo and links to SFPL’s article about it if patrons want more detail.
How it looks in search results
The LA Times published a fascinating article about eReading behavior in California where residents can use multiple library cards. Readers who were surveyed indicate that they are not buying fewer books; they are simply reading more.
“Rather than undermining sales, readers said, borrowing brought literature into their digital diets, displacing podcasts and Instagram with new authors and genres they otherwise never would have picked up. For some card collectors, rediscovering the library through e-borrowing has been so profound that it feels almost spiritual.”
This video says it all: Charleston County Public Library in South Carolina published a video that explains the Macmillan embargo in terms all ages will understand: cupcakes.
Cranston Public Library is the first from Rhode Island to join and is taking an extra step in their physical locations, stating that they are “not promoting or displaying any Macmillan titles to our patrons.”
(Disclaimer: Carmi Parker is a member of RF’s working group).