[WEB4LIB] Technology Consultants

[HTheyer]

I asked over two weeks ago about Library Technology Consultants, and am
pretty amazed that there are so few online resources!

Special Libraries Association
http://www.sla.org/consultonline/

Acqweb - Vanderbilt University (?)
http://acqweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/acqweb/pubr/opac.html

LibraryHQ
http://www.libraryhq.com/consultants.html

I got one warning about LibraryHQ related to its ownership by Sirsi.  I got
one warning about using technology consultants provided by vendors selling
the technology and their potential lack of objectivity in selecting the best
technology for the library.

I received names of three people who are in the buisness of library
technology consulting and are happy to have names passed along.

This makes me wonder, we have all these library organizations, and so far
SLA is the only one even attempting to do anything like this.  Their
database, when limited to California, is very sparse and does not include
people I personally know about.  Why?  Wouldn't being "vetted" or "approved"
by ALA, LITA, et. al. to be on a master list of consultants be a good thing
for both the consultants and the libraries needing work done?  Is this just
not in anybody's mission to do?

It seems libraries rely on personal stories and word of mouth when hiring
technology consultants.  We wouldn't do the same for someone building a
building (or would we?) or for someone we were hiring as an administrator.
Why do this for a technology consultant?

Hillary Theyer


> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of HTheyer
> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 5:29 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] Technology Consultants
>
>
> After teaching one technology based workshop, what I was asked the most
for
> was a list of library technology consultants that could be hired by
> libraries.  I went all over ALA's site, nothing I could find.  Books are
> great, but I need names addresses and such.  Does anyone know of such a
> list, or one for California alone?
>
> Thanks,
> Hillary Theyer
>
>