With most of the nation’s major library systems closing and a wave of independent booksellers closing to the public, at least, we checked in with Barnes & Noble to see how they are approaching the situation. “We have reduced store hours in all of our stores, and are prepared to close stores promptly along with guidance from local and national officials,” a spokesperson told PL. “We have also enhanced cleaning in all of our stores, and have alerted all employees who are not feeling well, or need to care for family members, to stay home.”
As physical outlets for obtaining books close, many are offering special deals on shipping, delivery and/or pick-up — all of which depends on a supply chain that continues to keep books flowing from warehouses. We asked Ingram about the state of their plans for maintaining both warehouse and printing operations. Also, drastically reduced cash flow for retailers will put pressure on credit terms from both wholesalers and publishers/distributors. In reply to our query the company said: “Ingram Content Group has comprehensive business continuity plans for warehouse operations and manufacturing. We have also planned extensively for the health and safety of our associates at all of our worldwide locations. Ingram’s global operation spans multiple warehouses and print on demand facilities and is fortunate to have a network that allows for the shifting of physical distribution and printing across facilities. We are well positioned to provide the services that the industry requires during these challenging times. We are monitoring credit situations thoughtfully but haven’t arrived at any policy changes.”
On Friday, ViacomCBS and its Simon & Schuster division moved from testing remote work to a formal, “company-wide, mandatory work-from-home policy until further notice.” S&S ceo Carolyn Reidy asked staff in a memo, “Please continue to treat today and Monday as days to test your capabilities and note issues and obstacles you encounter in fulfilling your day to day responsibilities. We encourage you to communicate these issues to your manager over the next few days.” Reidy noted that “our buildings remain open and you may go there to retrieve any important items you may need. For your safety and the safety of others, we do ask that you coordinate with your team or department and stagger your presence so as to minimize contact with your co-workers.”
The company has “identified business critical personnel and functions who will need to continue to work on site to ensure business continuity, most particularly in Riverside [NJ] and Milan [TN]. We will continue to take every precaution to ensure their safety, and we are grateful for their service and appreciate their dedication to keeping Simon & Schuster running and our books flowing to accounts and ultimately, readers.”
Cengage also announced “we have strongly advised our employees to prepare to work from home/remotely over the course of the next week, and we are implementing shift scheduling for offices where in-person presence is required.”
On the horizon, publishers will start looking at release dates of new titles, particularly since a lot of big titles were due to publish earlier this year ahead of the presidential election in the fall. In the UK, Transworld postponed the May 14 release of Ruth Jones’ second novel, US THREE, to September 3. In the meantime, to help with virtual promotion, Arjun Basu organized QuarantineBookClub.com: “You’re stuck at home. Chat with an author. Join your favorite authors on Zoom where you can have spirited discussions from the privacy of our own quarantined space.”