LIBRARY CONSULTANTS
Even at institutions in which the members of the executive committee(s) are very active, the services of one or more library consultants may be quite desirable at an early stage. If the director and key people have not worked through similar methodologies, it is wise get at least one professional on board as soon as possible. Certainly, if the project promises to be large and complicated and there is too much to do, then the wisest move is to retain a library consultant for guidance and advice — and to do certain aspects of the work.
START STRATEGIC WORK
Most library consultants prefer to arrive on the scene before major decisions have been made. The reasons are obvious. Reporting structures and budget procedures tend to be so cumber some that few people want to revisit previously made decisions. Its difficult if not impossible to go to the voters a second time for more money; the same is true for for state legislators, vice presidents of financial affairs, university presidents, and so forth and so on. Indeed, many people get so irritated by the slow pace of the funding and sign-off procedures that they are willing to build a structure whose layout may have major flaws – just to keep the process moving along. That is why Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD consultants believe that for them to act most effectively, it is best to be on hand before any difficulties have gone too far.
CONTACT OUR TEAM – AARON COHEN ASSOCIATES, LTD
CREATING A CASE
Creating a case to upgrade the library facility and operations may demand an integrated political effort on the part of administrators and staff. This is especially true at institutions which utilize consensus planning as their major operating procedure. A director who enlists the aid of co-workers in the preliminary stages of planning may cement a camaraderie that will pay big dividends when it comes time to sell the idea to the community at large or the powers-that-be. Even at the earliest stages administrators can be helpful in providing information necessary to develop projections for a variety of current and new services. Staff members can enumerate sizes of collections, departmental and individual working requirements. At some institutions it is imperative to get every one involved. Appointing a building committee made up of a cross section of the administration and staff is a very positive method.
Here, two committees may have to be developed. The first may contain a group of people drawn from all areas within the library to do the actual work. The second may be made up of interested and supportive parties outside of the library to smooth the political process required to gain the necessary approvals and funds.
START PLANNING
Consultants can be retained at any time. They can be used to review justifications that have already been written, guide the library through the fund raising maelstrom, provide mission and goals statement that dovetails with the concept for the new library plan: services, building, write furniture specifications, make minor refinements of schematic design and space layouts, etc.
Sometimes our library consultant may be retained for advice during one stage, say, budget proceedings, and another during a later stage, for example, determining programming and services requirements. At the earliest stages they may write the feasibility study, prepare a needs assessment or create a building program.
Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD most important task at the initial phase, is to convince the powers-that-be — mayor, city council, university president, state legislature, upper management, facility planning department, etc — of the efficacy of the need and the potential solution. This is performed by attending preliminary meetings with “stakeholders” people, providing necessary data, writing logical reports and presenting findings to those with the ability to fund the project or make the decision that lead to funding.
