Getting Started
The path you take depends on what brought you here. Pick yours below, or jump to "Not sure?" if you need help deciding.
Your entry path
I'm overwhelmed by vendor decisions
You\'re choosing between vendors. Nothing in their pitch is honest. The goal is decoding what you're really buying.
90 minutes + ongoing consulting
You'll learn:
- The pattern that repeats with every vendor (not unique to yours)
- How to read between the pitch and the contract
- The questions that expose what they're not saying
- How to maintain leverage throughout negotiations
I need to audit our contracts NOW
You're renewing something. Your timeline is tight. You need specific red flags and a decision framework yesterday.
2-4 hours + board meeting prep
You'll learn:
- The 6 steps to decode any vendor contract
- Which clauses are non-negotiable vs. which are extraction
- How to brief your board in language they understand
- What "reasonable" actually looks like from the library side
I want to understand the AI conversation
AI is coming to libraries. Your board is excited. Your staff is scared. You need actual clarity, not hype or panic.
60 minutes + reference materials
You'll learn:
- What AI can actually do vs. vendor marketing claims
- Where the real risks are (data extraction, staff displacement, bias)
- How to make governance decisions your board can defend
- What practitioners are actually building that works
I'm researching ebook history & policy
This path covers the structural problem: timeline, data, the legal and business architecture underneath. You want timeline, data, the legal/business architecture underneath.
Deep dives: 45 min–2 hours each
You'll learn:
- How OverDrive went from solving problems (1986) to extracting (2026)
- Why artificial scarcity exists in ebooks and how it's engineered
- The policy timeline: what changed, when, why
- What alternatives actually exist right now
Evaluating a Vendor
You're considering a new tool or platform for your library.
2-3 hours for framework + ongoing reference
You'll learn:
- A systematic decision framework for vendor evaluation
- How to identify red flags in contracts and proposals
- Negotiation strategies that work
- Downloadable templates and checklists
Building AI Governance for Your Library
Your library is ready to develop policies for how it will use and oversee AI.
2-4 hours for framework + board prep
You'll learn:
- How to build organizational AI governance from scratch
- Risk assessment frameworks for AI adoption
- Board-ready policy language and decision guides
- Implementation templates and oversight checklists
Choosing Technology for Your Library
You're evaluating new systems or planning a technology refresh for your library.
2-3 hours for framework + implementation
You'll learn:
- A systematic framework for technology selection and planning
- How to assess your actual technology needs vs. vendor hype
- Building realistic technology budgets for your library size
- Implementation planning and success metrics
Protecting Patron Data & Preparing for Incidents
Your library is ready to secure patron information, create incident response plans, or ensure compliance with privacy laws.
1-2 hours for framework + implementation
You'll learn:
- How to assess your library's data protection maturity
- A 4-phase roadmap to implement comprehensive data security
- How to create an incident response plan and test it
- Compliance requirements (FERPA, state privacy laws, breach notification)
Not sure which path fits you?
Answer these quick questions to narrow it down:
Is your timeline immediate?
Days/weeks → Use the audit path. Months → Use the reading path.
Are you making a decision or understanding context?
Making a decision → Audit or AI Field Guide. Understanding → Reading path or history deep dives.
Who's your audience?
Board → Use board-ready language. Your staff → Practitioner framework. Patrons → Ebook history timeline.
What's the biggest blocker?
Vendor jargon → Audit checklist. Policy uncertainty → AI field guide. Security/compliance → Data Protection framework. Structural understanding → History timeline.
Still unsure? Send your specific context and I'll route you to the right asset. This is what the free consulting call is for.
Ready to talk?
Stuck? Call me. Tell me what\'s happening. I\'ve been inside these systems: inside OverDrive\'s contract infrastructure, inside the collapse, inside the negotiations that broke libraries. I\'ll tell you exactly what you're dealing with and whether I\'m the right person to fix it.
No commitment. No pitch. Just clarity from someone who knows how these traps are built.
Schedule a Free Call
Why this site exists
This is eighteen years of documentation from someone who's been on all sides of the extraction problem.
- How the system actually works: Employee #70 at OverDrive. Account manager at CollectionHQ while Baker & Taylor collapsed around it. Customer success in cannabis tech and legal tech. I've watched the same pattern play out across four industries.
- How to work around it: Built alternatives at Sandusky Library. Secured over $250,000 in community investment through foundation gifts and grants. Built a digital media lab. Won a Library Journal Mover & Shaker award. Proved something better exists.
- What practitioners do when the system fails: Pop-up tools. Local infrastructure. Building your own ILS instead of waiting for someone else to fix the problem. Maintaining judgment instead of being captured.
No vendor partnerships. No commissions. No kickbacks. Just someone who's been inside the machine, watched it grind libraries down, and decided to start talking about it.