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Online Sales Program: Public Libraries | Academic Libraries | Schools | Retail/Wholesale

Public Libraries: Frequently Asked Questions

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Where will you list our items for sale?
You'll get turnkey access to blogistics.com, Amazon, eBay, Half, Alibris, ABE Books, Barnes & Noble, and their international affiliates. These sales channels combined represent the vast majority of new and used media product sales online. By listing your items for sale on all these websites, B-Logistics exposes them to millions of shoppers worldwide and greatly increases your sales potential.

How long are our materials allowed to sell?
Your items will remain listed for a minimum of three months, although many items will remain for sale up to five months. Our in-depth analysis of sell-through data reveals that, when priced correctly, the vast majority of books that can be sold will be purchased within four months of listing.

How do you set the prices for our materials?
B-Logistics uses powerful custom software to compare competitive pricing across the sales channels. Using internal pricing parameters that account for the different requirements of the channels, B-Logistics sets prices to give you exposure to the most shoppers while ensuring maximum sell-through at the best possible price. The software monitors and re-prices inventory continually to ensure that your items remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.

What happens if the items don't sell?
Even in the worldwide marketplace, there are books that simply won't find a buyer. Unsold materials are first offered to a variety of donation partners, such as Global Education Fund, which establishes literacy centers in orphanages worldwide. B-Logistics maintains a list of donation recipients, but we are able to respect any requirements or restrictions that your library may have regarding donations.

Any remaining unsold items are recycled into reusable raw materials. Books may be recycled into raw paper pulp, animal litter, or even home insulation. Our recycling partner recycles not only unsold books, but also used cardboard boxes, plastic stretch wrap from pallets, and the plastic components of unsold media products like CDs or broken jewel cases. None of your unsold material goes to the landfill, and none of it comes back to haunt you!

How much money do we make on each book?
B-Logistics splits the net proceeds 50/50 with your library. Net proceeds are the sales after the commissions and fees (ranging from 15-25%) charged by the online marketplaces. For example, if a book sells for $20 on a channel that charges 20% in fees and commissions, the net proceeds would be $16. Your library receives half of the net proceeds, or $8. This formula is applied to each item that sells, and the net proceeds may vary depending on the fees charged by the online sales channel. Shipping charges from your library to our Denver facility, while pre-paid by B-Logistics, will then be netted against your share of future proceeds. The B-Logistics cost- and revenue-sharing model ensures that we operate as true partners in your sales efforts. If you don't make money, we don't make money. B-Logistics never requires you to donate a portion of your proceeds to charity.

What is the payment and reporting cycle?
Monthly activity reports are sent approximately 15 days after the close of each calendar month. Payments are issued approximately 60 days after the close of each calendar month. For example, sales from the monthly period ending June 30th would be reported to your library on or around July 15 and paid no later than August 31, net of any outstanding shipping credits. Payments are typically made by check, although other payment arrangements (such as Amazon or Starbuck's gift cards or credit to your SOLINET account) are available to suit your library's needs.

What will our costs be?
Your only costs will be those involved in processing the shipment to us. You will be responsible for packing the books in sturdy boxes (recycled used boxes are fine) and preparing them for shipment on pallets. Many libraries are able to re-use their boxes from Baker and Taylor or other suppliers, or they have found inexpensive or donated boxes through their Friends groups or supporters in the community.

B-Logistics coordinates, schedules and prepays for pallet-sized shipments on our freight accounts, so you can take advantage of our sizeable volume discounts. We assume the payable for the freight bills, so you have no out-of-pocket shipping cost; the freight charges will then be deducted from your future proceeds. Because B-Logistics assumes the freight payable and shares the proceeds 50/50, if you don't make money, we don't make money.

For library partners unable to accumulate pallet-sized shipments (800-1200 items minimum), the most economical carton shipping method is USPS Media Mail. Your account manager will provide instructions for processing Media Mail shipments.

Is there a minimum quantity we're required to ship?
No. You can tailor the program to suit the size of your facility and your staff. Most libraries find, though, that the economics improve dramatically the more they can ship at one time. This is because the shipping cost per book decreases when you ship enough to take advantage of carriers' volume discounts. The less you ship, the more carefully you will want to screen your materials to ensure that you're sending only saleable items.

How much will the freight cost?
Pallet-based shipping costs to our Denver facility vary widely based on the volume shipped and the originating zip code. Per-book shipping costs generally decrease as the volume you ship in a single load increases. Significant price breaks are typically offered by freight carriers at 6-, 12-, and 24-pallet shipments. From most locations, a 12-pallet shipment (about 12,000-14,000 items) should run $0.10 - $0.25 per book. Limited access and special needs pickups (requiring lift-gate or pallet jacks supplied by the carrier) generally incur additional charges. Because B-Logistics has pre-negotiated volume discounts with many national carriers, we can generally find the best rate quotes for your shipments. When you are ready to ship, our freight management team will help you select the best shipping option for your individual needs.

Parcel-based shipping (by the box) is typically much less economical. If staffing and space constraints make it impractical for you to ship pallets, you should expect to pay between $0.45 - $1.00 per book via USPS Media Mail.

Do we have to sign a contract?
Only if your library requires it. We're happy to enter into an agreement for a specific period of time if your organization or local government requires it, but you won't be required to sign any long-term commitments to do business with us. We prefer to earn your loyalty with strong results and great service.

What kinds of materials do you accept?
Gently used books in all genres and almost all binding types are acceptable, as are music CDs and DVDs. All items should be in good condition with all original parts included. Library discards with library ownership markings are perfectly acceptable. Because we operate on a high-efficiency, high-volume model, we request that all items have a unique identifier such as an ISBN for books or a UPC code for CDs and DVDs. (Rare and collectible pre-ISBN books can be accepted only on a case by case basis in consultation with one of our rare book specialists; please do not mix these with your regular shipments.)

Because we're selling items "sight-unseen" over the Internet, we label the condition of books and media products conservatively to preserve your reputation and ours. We encourage you to send items that are in good, clean, gently used condition — items that you would be happy to receive from an online vendor. Learn more about what sells well by checking out our product guidelines.

What should we avoid sending?
We strive to give every media product the opportunity to sell on your behalf. However, since freight costs are netted against your future proceeds, you can improve your results by excluding items that cannot be sold, either due to restrictions on the websites or marketplace conditions. As the leaders in online library sales, we've developed reliable criteria for selecting those items that will yield the best results for your library. Our product guidelines detail the items most likely to be rejected or to remain unsold at the end of their shelf life. We encourage you to share the product guidelines with staff or volunteers who are selecting items to ship to B-Logistics. Click here to see our product guidelines.

Who else in my area is using B-Logistics?
B-Logistics works with hundreds of public and academic libraries in the US and Canada. Your account manager can give you references of librarians in your area who can talk to you about their success with B-Logistics.

Won't this conflict with the book sales held by our Friends group?
Many of our most successful library partners find that the B-Logistics program perfectly complements their in-house bookstore and community book sales. Successful Friends groups sell books to the local community at prices competitive with but not below the lowest online price. (By selling their books locally at prices competitive with the online pricing, Friends groups discourage the local resellers who snap up the $1 bargain books and resell them online, cutting the library out of the profits.) Then if the books don't sell locally, the Friends send them to B-Logistics for exposure on multiple websites reaching millions of worldwide customers at competitive market pricing. A few libraries have discontinued their regular book sales altogether after seeing their success with B-Logistics, but most continue to hold sales as a community service for their patrons.

How should we package shipments to B-Logistics?
Books and media should be sent in sturdy, sealed cardboard boxes. Recycled boxes in good condition work well as long as they are of uniform size and retain their structural integrity when stacked on pallets or shipped individually. In either scenario, each packed box should be completely filled and should not exceed 40 lbs.

Shipments of 800 books or more should be palletized on standard 40" x 48" pallets. Click here to download full instructions for preparing pallets for shipment (it's not as hard as you think!) as well as tips on how to find the materials you need for little or no cost.

Do I need to sort books by genre or binding?
No. Our inventory management system assigns every book a locator code to help us find an item when it sells, so you don't have to organize your shipments in any particular order. Just pack the items however they best fit in the boxes and leave the rest to us!

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