Launching a library webshop

The experiences of the online bookshop of Béla Hamvas Pest County Library

Abstract

The Béla Hamvas Pest County Library launched the first library webshop of Hungary in November of 2021 under the name of “Books from the city of arts”. Chris Anderson’s long tail concept and Ranganathan’s five laws of librarianship served as the theoretical background of the project. The paper presents the project from the idea to realisation: the administrative issues of a library-run business, the IT development, the products to be sold, the pricing strategies, the operation and the promotion of the online bookshop. The paper concludes that after a few months of operation the webshop innovatively contributed to the accomplishment of the library’s mission.