2015 Charleston Library Conference

A panel of librarians working for different kinds of library vendors will discuss their unique and valuable roles inside their organizations. The session will be moderated by an Electronic Resources Librarian with an interest in library/vendor relationships. Librarians can add value to their company’s relationships with library customers as they share the same basic skill set as their colleagues in libraries and have a better understanding of their needs, industry standards, and the day to day realities of their customers. Participants will learn the kinds of roles librarians can have at vendors, how these positions compare and contrast with more traditional library work, their identities in the library profession, how library school did and did not prepare them for their jobs, and more. This will also serve as a call to action for vendors to hire more librarians to better serve their library customers. Attendees from libraries and vendors will be encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences with “vendorbarians.”