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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Useful Tips In Selecting Library Planning Consultants

By Lucia Weeks


It is never easy to manage a facility. It requires knowledge, expertise and the appropriate attitude. A task as important as cannot be handed on just anyone. You need reliable people who can effectively manage the facility for you. The best thing to do in this situation is to hire someone you could trust.

The library planning consultants have the expertise to do planning, configuration, execution and operation on different types of libraries, from traditional setup to a digital library. Most of library consultants are either librarian with both expertise and experience in working in or managing a depository. Others are people from a different field who gained substantial knowledge relevant to libraries and information systems.

Although the consultant's background should be taken into consideration, you must focus more on the candidate's ability. Prior experience in the industry may give a librarian an edge, but someone exposed to a different field may contribute a fresh idea or two. A combination of both rookie and seasoned adviser is a great idea because it can brew an interesting result.

Before you start with your search, you must know your needs. Prepare a criteria to determine if a candidate is a good match or not. You must also be able to answer important questions like what responsibilities await successful candidates, is the task going to be simple or complicated and would it require more than one adviser.

This will help you identify the skills and abilities to look for in a candidate early on. In some cases, the tasks turned out to be more than what the consultant can handle, which led to unfavorable and unsatisfactory results. If you are anticipating a complex task, you might be needing more than one consultant. Each one must fit the duties and responsibilities that await.

Once the details were outlined, you may start the hiring process. List down the consultants in your area who meet your qualifications. There are several sources you can get this information from. The most reliable is the word of mouth. You can also visit the internet or check with local and national associations of librarians or the state agencies.

Filter the names you gathered by assessing whether the candidates fit the project or not. Contact the potential candidates then provide them with the project overview. Next, ask them what they understood, what method they would use to fulfill the tasks, do they have the necessary expertise for the project and can they deliver within the given time frame.

At the same time, you must consider the adviser's availability. The best consultants are expected to be busy with various offers. Yet, a professional should dedicate the time to complete every project they take. You must also ask how the consultant means to communicate with you to provide updates on despite the busy schedules.

Finally, discuss the fee structure. There are consultants who charge by the hour while others charge a fixed amount for the entire duration of the contract. If the project consist of different stages, ask the candidate if he is willing to break down the payment for each stage. You have to consider the financial status of the organization, so be open to negotiations.




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