Throwing Back the Curtain: Getting Candid about Negotiating and the Value of the Library-Vendor Relationship

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2019

Department 1

Library

Abstract

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 salespeople who lack an understanding of academic libraries, their culture, and philosophies, and as a result can 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 consumers and tightening of library collection budgets. In this chapter, we will pull back the curtain and discuss strategies and approaches to negotiations that work for all parties, as well as best practices and tips from both sides of the table.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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