Vendors and library workers coexist in a mostly mutually beneficial ecosystem, but we don’t always feel that we’re on the same journey. We share the same goals–for libraries to succeed–but the buyer/seller power dynamic often positions us at odds with each other in achieving these goals. It’s far too easy to find ourselves traveling on divergent paths. Is this the unfortunate reality of our profession or a false, yet persistent, narrative?
Join an enthusiastic panel of four professionals with interests in exploring and transforming narratives around vendors and library workers. Participants will get a sneak preview into the results of a global survey of vendor service expectations that gathered perceptions of both library workers and vendors. Rather than focusing on projects, products, or systems, this large-scale, comprehensive survey illuminates overall vendor service expectations. Do vendors understand libraries’ shifting priorities? What services do library workers genuinely value, and which are less important? Do we really want those fancy dinners?
The panelists, representing a large research university, a liberal arts college, a consortium, and a streaming video vendor, will share diverse perspectives and plenty of frank discussion. Participants, both vendors and library workers alike, will enrich their partnerships by gaining a deeper awareness of the values and services prioritized by library workers, and the corresponding perceptions of vendors around library workers’ priorities. And participants will join the fun by sharing their own responses to survey questions via live audience polling. The journey may not always go smoothly, but we’re in it together!
