Baker & Taylor and collectionHQ Launch ESP - Evidence-based Selection Planning

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker & Taylor, the premier worldwide distributor of digital and print books and entertainment products, announced today a new service backed by collectionHQ's data: ESP – Evidence-based Selection Planning. 

ESP brings the art of Baker & Taylor's collection development expertise together with the science of collectionHQ's data analytics, to create a decision support system integrated with Title Source 360 to equip libraries with the information to select the right titles and quantities, for the right locations.

The concept of ESP first came about when Baker & Taylor acquired collectionHQ in 2011.

"We are excited to expand our efforts to help libraries streamline the collection development process," said George Coe, President and CEO of Baker & Taylor. "collectionHQ provides libraries with evidence of collection performance and action plans on how to improve that performance, providing a natural platform for Baker & Taylor's established collection development services to offer a predictive, streamlined solution to support selection decisions at libraries."

ESP identifies the top forthcoming titles based upon past circulation by author, subject and series, determines the locations where copies need to be placed to satisfy patron demand and monitors budgets through the use of collectionHQ spending plans.

"Bringing together, in one workflow, the art and science of library collection development and acquisitions is the most exciting project that I have been a part of in my 20 years in the industry," said Scott Crawford, collectionHQ's Vice President and General Manager. "Our goal is to provide the public library with the decision support system to leverage demand analytics with future supply decisions in an efficient and performance-based workflow."

ESP officially launched last week at a special event in the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, Ind., during the Public Library Association conference. The session provided an overview of the features, benefits and workflows associated with ESP and featured guest presentations from two libraries who took part in the ESP pilot program – Phoenix Public Library (Ariz.) and Naperville Public Library (Ill.).

For more information about ESP, please visit www.baker-taylor.com/esp.  For a recent example from the media of how collectionHQ's data analytics is helping one library system, go to http://wishtv.com/2014/03/12/new-software-helping-indy-library-buy-smarter/.

About Baker & Taylor

Baker & Taylor, Inc. is the premier worldwide distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.

About collectionHQ

collectionHQ is the leading collection performance improvement solution, based on the proven Evidence Based Stock Management (EBSM™) methodology. Easy to implement, simple to use and extremely cost-effective, collectionHQ delivers repeatable performance improvements for library collections by providing evidence-based analysis, advice and performance monitoring of all collections across all media. It helps libraries save money by improving use of existing inventory and making purchasing more effective by creating evidence-based specifications, which cater to local demand. collectionHQ improves collection performance by identifying local demand and suggesting action plans on how to address this demand – improving the quality of service, demonstrating best value and improving local marketing.

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SOURCE Baker & Taylor