Frequently Asked Questions

18 years in library technology. I\'ve trained frontline staff at multiple large systems, managed multi-million dollar implementations, ran a library\'s IT operations, and sat in vendor meetings where pricing decisions were made. I\'ve seen what works, what doesn\'t, and what vendors do when they think no one's watching.

Most contract reviewers have never been on both sides of the negotiation. I have. I know the pricing tactics vendors use, the escape clauses they hide in appendices, and the compliance traps that blow up 3 years in. I review contracts for the realities of library operations, not just legal language.

AI governance isn\'t about blocking technology. It\'s about understanding what AI can and can\'t do, identifying where it actually helps your library, and building policies that protect staff and patrons without creating bureaucratic paralysis. I focus on practical frameworks that work with your team\'s actual capacity.

Seriously. I don\'t store your contracts, data, or strategy docs. Consultations are confidential. I don\'t use your library's situation as case studies or articles without explicit permission. If something is sensitive, it stays that way.

Yes. I help you build the business case, not the wishlist. We focus on what actually drives value at your library, what the real costs are (including hidden ones), and how to frame it for your board or administration. I've written the budgets. I know what works.

This is actually where I focus a lot. Small libraries get squeezed hardest by vendors. You don\'t have a legal team, you don\'t have IT backup, and when a system fails, it\'s a crisis. I help you navigate vendor relationships with realistic constraints and build tech stacks that don\'t require a full team to run.

I track vendor announcements, legislation changes, industry conferences, and what\'s actually happening in library systems. I read contracts. I follow security incidents. I talk to library IT people, librarians, and vendors. This isn\'t consulting based on theory, it\'s based on what\'s actually breaking systems right now.

I can prepare you for negotiation, help you identify leverage points, and review final terms. Direct negotiations depend on your needs and the vendor\'s willingness to engage a consultant. Let\'s talk about your specific situation and what would be most effective.

I work remote by default (calls, email, shared documents). I also do in-person consulting if you're in a region where that makes sense. For consortiums or multi-library projects, I can design workshops on specific topics, contract review, AI governance, vendor relationships, security basics. Let\'s figure out what works for your situation.

Pricing depends on scope, a contract review is different from ongoing governance strategy. I work with librarians who are managing complex decisions on tight budgets. Let\'s talk about what you need and figure out what\'s realistic for your situation. Contact me and we can discuss specifics.

Absolutely. The articles, checklists, and guides here are made to be used. Share them with your team, your board, your consortium. Adapt them to your context. That\'s the whole point. If you need help tailoring something specific for your library, that\'s consulting work, let's talk.

Contact me with what you're working on. Share whatever context helps, contracts, systems in question, organizational constraints. We\'ll have an initial conversation to understand your situation and figure out what kind of help actually solves your problem. No obligation to move forward after that conversation.

Yes. I\'ve watched vendor extraction destroy library capacity. I don\'t pretend to be neutral about that. But I\'m not anti-vendor. I\'m pro-library. If a vendor serves your actual needs and the contract is fair, I\'ll say so. I just won\'t pretend extraction is anything other than what it is.

Here\'s the honest version: Most consultants won\'t tell you the truth about vendor relationships because they have financial incentives not to. I don\'t. That frees me to call a predatory contract predatory and a good partnership a good partnership based on what\'s actually happening, not what looks good to say.

If you want someone who\'ll validate whatever you're doing, this probably isn\'t it. If you want someone who\'ll tell you the truth even when it\'s uncomfortable, that\'s what you get.