Effective Use of Library Consultants

ALLINSTITUTIONSMUST RESPOND to environmental pressures, and libraries are no exception. In the last few years libraries have experienced severe erosion in purchasing power at a time when budgets are becoming tighter, the demands for service are becoming louder and more articulate, and the world of publication is redesigning the way information is made available. In general, libraries must do more with less. They must make fundamental changes in the way they operate, including improvements in technical systems, organizational structures, staff behavior, policies, decision-making processes, and ways of solving problems. Library leaders have a responsibility for planning and directing change that goes beyond reacting to crises as they occur. This requires executive judgment that combines a library-wide perspective of opportunities and challenges with the application of tools that facilitate change.’ With the pace of change, the dimension of many organizations, and the complexity of today’s environment, greater attention has been drawn to consultants who can bring additional skill, knowledge, and experience into the library in order to facilitate change. Consulting is a common organizational and social process in which professional advisors attempt to help a client solve a current or