Got a Fiverr?

We all know that libraries are in a major budget crisis.  What we don’t always know is how to cut costs.  Well, I won’t make any claims that I can answer that question, either.  What I will share with you today is an interesting new service that can help your library get some things done for cheap.

For some time, I’ve been wracking my brain (what’s left of it, granted) for a clever tagline for this very blog.  Suffice it to say, my brain wasn’t obliging and my tagline sat empty.  Then I caught wind of a new beta site called Fiverr.  The tagline for this site is “The place for people to share things they’re willing to do for $5.”  It’s a fairly simple concept:

1. People list jobs they’re willing to do for a mere five bucks.
2. You go shopping.
3. You decide on one of the listings to fit your need.
4. You purchase the job and pay $5 via either PayPal or a credit card.
5. The seller contacts you for details.  You provide them.
6. The seller sends you the completed work.
7. You leave feedback.

In many senses, it’s like eBay (and perhaps just as addictive) in the sense that the transaction is between you and another person, and the site simply acts as the mechanism to make it happen.

In my case, I decided to purchase this job.  I put my five dollars down and waited for the seller to contact me.  It took several days for him/her to email me (I suspect that they’re pretty busy with such a deal for such a low rate) and I honestly forgot about it after a a couple of days.  I figured, “Eh, I lost $5.”  The seller did actually email me several days after my purchase however, and, as promised in their listing, he/she had completed the job in less than 24 hours–with a choice of 3 taglines to choose from.  I loved the first one (which now resides on the top left of this site) and rated the seller favorably.  After all, for only five bucks, I can be pretty patient!

What does this mean to me, Laura?

• The variety of jobs available to choose from is truly astounding.  Want someone to draw a floorplan of your library?  Come up with an ad campaign theme?  Need a virtual assistant?  Get a professional logo?  New things are added all the time, and the variety is very good.
• Yes, they ALL cost $5.00 USD.
• Since they all cost $5, if one doesn’t work out, it’s easy (and very inexpensive!) to try another seller.

I’ve since recommended Fiverr to a friend to get his resume’ reviewed, and even to a library that didn’t have a tagline either (and wanted one).  What could your library get for five dollars?