Friday 19 December 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.

Aside from the consultant's previous work experience, you must also consider the candidate's ability. Although it is true that seasoned librarians have the edge against other applicants, introducing someone who is relatively new could possibly bring in something fresh as well. Better yet, let an experienced adviser work with someone who is new to the field and you might be surprised of the great results it would yield.

Before you set out on your search, it is imperative that you fully understand what you are looking for. Identify your needs and set up a criteria. You have to ask yourself, what would be the tasks of the consultants, are the tasks pretty simple or is it quite complicated and requires expertise in a certain field and how many consultants should you hire.

Answering these key questions can help you determine the qualifications and abilities you should be looking for in the candidates. Sometimes, the tasks may be too much for one adviser to handle. If left unchecked, this may lead to unsatisfactory results. If the project turns out to be complex, you might need more than one adviser so the duties and responsibilities can be divided.

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.

After gathering several names, filter your list. Contact the candidates to assess how they match the project. Provide each one with the bird's eye view on the tasks at hand, then ask them evaluation questions. Ask them what their understanding of the project is, if they are confident that they can apply their expertise on this project, what their methods for accomplishing it and can they possibly deliver within your given time frame.

The consultant's availability is another important consideration you must cover. Expect top-rate consultants to be pretty busy. Yet a dedicated professional will always allot the time to finish the completion of the projects they take. It is equally crucial to ask how the adviser intends to communicate the progress of the project despite their busy schedules.

Finally, talk about the fee structures. Some consultants charge an hourly rate while the others charge a fixed rate throughout the contract's duration. If the project is composed of different stages, you may break down the payment in each stage if the candidate agrees. Since you must also think about the organization's financial status, you must be open to possible negotiations.




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