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October 16, 2007
Do you consult?
Whether you're officially a "consultant", or you consult with other departments and users, this book is a good read. It's years in the making and Ulla de Stricker is a widely respected international consultant in the library field. (Disclosure: We're friends, we've worked together and I have hired her to consult too.) Ulla tells it like it is in an honest, concise, and realistic distillation of decades of experience, respecting the reader’s time. Sage advice, compactly and clearly given. I've often thought that consulting might be the model ro learn from for many aspects of traditional librarianship especially with repsect to cross functional planning, external research and partnership development.
Librarians and information professionals possess a unique mix of skills that are well suited to consulting. Expert author Ulla de Stricker shows how this skill-set applies to a range of consulting activities from highly specialized, focused activities to broad strategic efforts. Providing a from-the-trenches perspective of the many consulting opportunities available both within and outside the library setting, this guide will help you
· Identify the pros and cons of consulting
· Partner with professionals to maximize your business
· Develop effective business and marketing plans
· Learn to negotiate using the contract and proposal primer
· Set up shop and thrive as a consultant
If you’ve ever considered becoming a consultant, this book will help you determine whether it’s right for you and give you the tools to succeed. Seasoned consultants, library staff trainers, and companies working with libraries will also gain inspiration from the wealth of ideas offered here.
You can find more here at ALA Editions.
Anyway, it's a rare 'other' profession that library folk can't learn something from!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at October 16, 2007 8:51 AM