2018 Charleston Library Conference

Too often librarians are thrust into the position of having to negotiate with little or no training, experience or background. This can put them in a position where they are uncertain of how to establish and leverage relationships and can often lead to them missing out on opportunities. In addition, vendors often hire sales-people who lack an understanding of academic libraries, their culture and philosophies, which can at times hinder the development of effective relationships and limit sales. Further complicating this environment is the ongoing consolidation within the vendor marketplace, high turnover among sales representatives, disintermediation as content providers and publishers look to work directly with libraries and/or consumers, as well as tightening of library collection budgets. This session will bring together experienced librarians and vendors who will “pull back the curtain” and discuss strategies and approaches to negotiations that work for parties on both sides of the table. Librarians and vendors looking to have honest discussions about how we can work more effectively together when negotiating should attend this engaging and interactive session.