Library book sales: A cost-benefit analysis

The perception that library book sales result in a net profit has not been examined systematically. Real and hidden costs are involved in book sales, including the opportunity cost of preventing staff from performing normal work. Cost-benefit analysis is applied to models of library book sales of several types: annual, on-going, and online. In each instance, analysis indicates that book sales are not cost-effective. An opinion sample taken at one academic library indicates that library personnel have misgivings about staging book sales but see them as having public relations benefits. Additional analysis would be of value, applied to measuring costs and benefits of specific book sales.