Public libraries that are experiencing long wait times to get new books delivered from their book suppliers are often hesitant to look for other fulfillment options, because the technical services onboarding process for new vendors can be complex and unwieldy. But that isn’t always the case.

Libraria, formerly Children’s Plus, Inc., is a full-service provider of books for children and teens that focuses on ease of ordering and exceptional customer service. The company offers shelf-ready processing of book orders, as well as assistance in developing collections at no additional charge—and its onboarding process takes “weeks, not months,” says Chief Operating Officer Mike Beechin.

Libraria’s new website enables librarians to set up an unlimited number of user accounts for their institution, as well as configure a profile for ordering books and processing invoices using the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) protocol. Libraries can easily create customized grid templates that can be applied to their orders, specifying which fund, branch or location, collection, and format or item type they want to apply for each item. Libraria’s website is fully compatible with all major ILS systems and the company is proudly an OCLC WorldCat Vendor Partner.

While Libraria’s core focus has been on Children’s and Teen titles, growing customer demand has sparked plans to expand into the adult market. The company plans to make this announcement later this year.

One library’s experience

Solano County Library, a public library system in California with nine branches serving nearly 400,000 patrons altogether, was having problems with its previous book supplier. “We were trying to set up EDI for electronic delivery of invoices, and it was taking months,” says Supervising Librarian Shazia Wilson. “We weren’t getting our issues resolved in a timely manner, and there was a lot of radio silence.”

Wilson and her colleagues learned about Libraria during a California Library Association conference. “When they said they could get us set up to purchase items from them in just a few weeks, we said: ‘Prove it,’” she recalls.

The company did just that, meeting with the Solano County Library team on February 1, 2023, to discuss onboarding. By March 1, the library system was placing its first actual order with Libraria.

Within 24 hours of that initial meeting, Libraria had configured Solano County Library’s online user accounts with grids for ordering, and the library system placed a test order on February 2. The company also custom-configured brief MARC records for Solano County; set up customized monthly selection lists based on the library system’s unique needs; set up EDI invoicing within its new Integrated Library System software platform; and set up cataloging and processing. By Feb. 17, Libraria had filled, shipped, and invoiced the Feb. 2 test order that Solano County Library had placed.

Wilson admits she was apprehensive about how challenging it might be to switch vendors, but her fears have proven to be unfounded.

“We transferred our purchasing of children’s and young adult content effortlessly,” she says. Libraria personnel “held our hands the whole way, and whenever we encountered any roadblocks, they were quick to jump on these and resolve them.”

Fast and personalized service

The fast and personalized service that Solano County Library received from Libraria during the onboarding process has continued throughout all aspects of the relationship, from helping librarians make their book selections to fulfilling orders.

“They send us the FedEx shipment link, so we can track the status of our orders—and because we know when our orders will arrive, we can staff appropriately on those days,” Wilson says. “They also send us customized MARC records for each item.”

Solano County places new orders almost on a weekly basis, and so far the library system hasn’t experienced any delays in receiving items. “The turnaround time is really quick,” Wilson notes.

She concludes: “It’s almost like doing business with a mom-and-pop operation. They know our names, and we like the highly personalized service we receive from Libraria. We enjoy doing business with them.”

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