Establishing Coffee Shop Cum Library

Question: Discuss about the Establishing Coffee Shop Cum Library. Answer: Introduction: Food items were restricted in any library establishment in the past but in the recent decade, this idea of convergence of two models is being considered by several organizations. Traditionally, the library environment was demanded to be sacrosanct but today, the needs of book readers have changed and they now look for a more relaxed atmosphere in a library. Theorist Peter Drucker suggests that companies should not get themselves attached to status quo but should have flexibility to change and innovate as per change consumer preferences. In big public libraries, it has been observed that food joints were available in close proximity attracting readers to food joints. However, in the cases of small libraries, the lack of availability of such food joints was a cause of concern which lead to reduction in the footfalls in libraries. If the visitors had to leave the library in between for food, there were high chances that they would not come back. Today's consumers want to have food anywhere they want including times when they are having food which is why lots of Cafe's see visitors coming to not only have drinks and snacks but also use the place for doing work or reading. For the consumers who want convenience and comfort most times, consumerism is the key and thus, library does not appear like having a conducive environment for them. Thus, certain libraries have come up with models to engage library users into other activities through establishment of Cafe and other features in the premises(Pierce, 2014). For establishing such a business model with combination of cafe and library, certain standards may be maintained to ensure great impact. A natural barrier may be created between the library and cafe to control food from getting in book shelves. A cafe may be constructed in such a way that it appears like an extension of the library. A communal place appealing readers may be developed in the library. Moreover, the library has to establish a positive relationship with vendor through profit sharing, provision of services t cafe and coordination required for managing events(Diers Simpson, 2014). Research questions Several research questions may be answered in this research: What are the reasons behind certain libraries coming up with cafe's as their part in other parts of the world? Do consumers all over the world are positive about having a cafe in the library? Would Indian readers be willing to try the new model of library cum cafe? Does this model work in Indian cities or if they are facing challenges in operations? How can such a cafe be established in India? Can a feasible and profitable model of business can be set in Indian market with consolidation of library with food serving? References Diers, B. Simpson, S., 2014. PROPOSAL for IMPLEMENTING a Library cafe , s.l.: UNI Reed Public Library. Pierce, W., 2014. Library Cafes: Next Logical Step. Library and Information Science Research, 7(1), pp. 1-3.