Outsourcing Library Technical Services Operations Practices in Academic, Public, and Special Libraries

"Outsourcing Library Technical Services Operations: Practices in Academic, Public, and Special Libraries gives librarians the chance to "sample" the outsourcing practices of other libraries before making a commitment or a costly mistake." "Outsourcing initially seems attractive to library decision makers, but at the same time they must be wary of its impact on in-house staff, productivity, and quality. Librarians need to be able to answer a number of questions about outsourcing before signing a contract: Is outsourcing the most cost-effective alternative?; What are the in-house implications of outsourcing?; Will outsourcing actually free up staff to provide better services to patron?" "Experts from academic, public, and special libraries with a wealth of experience in outsourcing different technical services activities provide their views in this book. Each experience is examined from the perspective of its original objectives, effectiveness, operational success, problems, and outcomes. An extensive bibliography provides additional resources on outsourcing." --Book Jacket.