Mission Critical: School Libraries More Valuable Than Communities PerceiveApril 22, 2014by Chris WadsworthAcross the US, schools just finished celebrating National Library Week, which took place this year from April 13-19. It’s a critical time for school libraries, as districts are scrutinizing their budgets more closely than ever before, looking for dollars to trim. Libraries may have been celebrated last week, but many library professionals believe the institutions… Read more
Will Universities and Retailers Start Joining Forces to Stay Afloat?April 15, 2014by Chris WadsworthWhen we were in high school, applying to college was a rite of passage. Seniors would apply to two- or four-year schools and then wait for the mail every day, in anticipation of the thick envelopes that signified acceptance. Today, more high school graduates are starting to choose alternate paths. In fact, NBC News recently… Read more
Affordable Care Act Strains Already-Struggling Library BudgetsApril 8, 2014by Chris WadsworthAccording to the American Library Association, there are more than 120,000 libraries in the United States. Libraries date back to 2600 BC, when resources were clay tablets written in cuneiform, one of the earliest known forms of writing – we’ve certainly come a long way since then. Today, libraries serve nearly 1.6 billion visits and… Read more
How to Use People Counting Technology to Improve Facility ManagementApril 2, 2014by Chris WadsworthYou don’t need to be a hardcore environmentalist to know that cutting your energy costs is good and reducing your carbon footprint is even better. Don’t get us wrong, we love the Earth, but investing large amounts of money in fancy eco-friendly technology and sustainable practices is counterproductive if these measures are not implemented for… Read more
What’s Ailing Brick and Mortar Retailers?March 25, 2014by Chris WadsworthFor decades, we’ve been shopping the same way: go to the store, browse the merchandise and choose the items we want to purchase. But in the last few years, things have gotten far more complicated, and the retailers we’ve grown up with are struggling with challenges that are threatening their brands. These woes range from… Read more
How to Use Emotional Marketing to Attract CustomersMarch 18, 2014by Chris WadsworthLast week, we had a long conversation about digital signage, what it is and why it’s effective. This week we’re going to focus on a different way to appeal to your customers: emotional marketing. Getting foot traffic into your store is more important than ever before. eCommerce has become so widespread that, according to Forrester Research,… Read more
Is Your Digital Signage Working to Its Fullest Potential?March 11, 2014by Chris WadsworthRecently, MSBNC ran an article about bricks-and-mortar stores in trouble. Some of the brands we’ve grown up with like Radio Shack, Sears, and even Macy’s are closing stores to cut costs, facing stiff competition from online-only giants like Amazon, eBay and Overstock.com. Why retailers need digital signage The idea of staying at home in our… Read more
Organized Retail Crime: How Much It Costs and How To Deter ItMarch 4, 2014by Chris WadsworthRetail crime gangs are responsible for the theft of billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise every year. The 2013 National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Survey of 129 senior loss prevention executives at retail companies revealed that 93.5 percent of retailers say they were a victim of ORC over the past year. Even… Read more
How to Track eBook Lending in LibrariesFebruary 28, 2014by Chris WadsworthLibraries are undergoing transformation and have been for some time. Over the past few years, the demand for eBooks and eReaders has significantly increased as a result of not only technological factors, but also economic, social and legal factors. The digital shift This shift is nothing new in 2014. According to Pew Research, the number… Read more
How Retailers Can Use People Counting to Optimize Their Advertising BudgetFebruary 26, 2014by Chris WadsworthBy assessing the total shopping habits of a store’s customer base, people counters allow retailers to budget advertising and maximize advertising space. Spending too much on advertising (and advertising across too many channels) could hurt your chances of generating return on your advertising investment, and spending too little might not allow you to reach as… Read more
