At WiLS, we want to bring valuable information to our library partners, including information about the missions and big ideas of the vendors they may already do business with. Each month, WiLS interviews a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations. This month, we are delighted to share insights from Matt Buser, Account Manager for Bloomsbury Digital Resources
Tell us about your company’s background.
Bloomsbury Digital Resources was launched in 2017 as a division within Bloomsbury Publishing focusing on resources for the Academic and Professional markets specializing in the humanities and social sciences. We seek to provide creative online learning environments that support scholarly research and inspire students throughout the world. Bloomsbury is a leading independent, global publishing house established in 1986 with offices in London, New York, Sydney, Oxford, and New Delhi.
Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?
I think that the wording of the question is part of my answer for this one: I work “with” libraries. I’ve had other positions outside of the library publishing industry and there was never such a sense of working together as we have here. And that’s part of what I love about being at Bloomsbury. As we are a relatively new division with a lot of new products, we are trying hard to work together “with” the libraries to help students get to the resources that best support their research needs.
What do you like to know about the libraries you work with? What helps you better understand their needs?
I like to know what I can do to help them. What are their fiscal years, which programs are they currently having trouble finding support for? How do they market the resources they do have so that the students can use them? The best way to understand the needs of the libraries is open conversation. I’ve had some amazing conversations with librarians, between site visits, conferences, and even just a phone call, that help to develop a better mutual understanding of how we can work together.
What big ideas are being worked on at your company? What problems are being solved?
As a relatively new division, building our product list is a big thing for us right now. With six products launched last year and another five scheduled for launch this year, plus new uploads available within existing products, we are in a time of rapid growth. A benefit to everything being so new is that we can still shape them based on feedback we’re receiving from librarians, whether content based or even model based. For example, we’ve started to look at ways to offer one-time purchase options on products that were conceptualized as subscription only based on feedback received once the products hit the market.
How can librarians become partners in product or training development?
Reach out! We are always happy to get feedback on any aspect of our business. The end goal is to get the content to the students. Let us know what you want to see. This can be what you want to see from Bloomsbury Digital Resources or from the publishing industry in general. I am always happy to listen. We also have a library advisory board, and we are often testing new pilot programs in libraries to see if it is something that we can bring to the entire market.
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This interview is part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org.