I have to wonder if the consultant was a "bean-counter" consultant
rather than a library one. Is there any doubt in anyone's mind here
that these consultants have no clue as to how a law firm (especially
a large one) depends on their library staff for being lifesavers? Law
firm library staffs frequently stay late or work during lunch to "get
the job done" & meet the firm's deadlines. There is no incentive such
a profit-sharing for a contract librarian to do this.
I wonder if any consideration has been given to client
confidentiality? An independent contractor will not feel the client
same loyalty that an employee will. The potential for conflict of
interest is also there if the contract librarian works at more than one
place. And lastly, how about the legal malpractice issues? An
atty is responsible for supervising staff that work for him/her and
their work product. I would think that would be more difficult to
do with an independent contractor. Baker & MacKenzie, I think you have
the potential for a very explosive situation on your hands. Please
reconsider.
You wrote:
>
>
>As a matter of policy, we will ONLY lend to other libraries, never
>individuals. So if anyone at B-M needs anything of ours while there is
>no library staff on site, they're out of luck.
>
>I can't believe that it is cheaper to contract out library operations
>--although I can believe that consultants suggest creative statistics
to
>buttress such a claim. Remember _How to Lie with Statistics_?
>
>I'm not sure that we have the moral right to refuse to deal with them
if,
>indeed, contract librarians do take over their library.
>
>I'm betting that it will take B-M at least a couple of months to
>get a contract in place, so we've got time to debate the issue further.
>
>Kay Collins
>Chicago
>
>On Mon, 3 Apr 1995, Ross DHMACK Ha dies wrote:
>
>>[in pertinent part] . . . We did hear from the filing service that
>to outside contractors to run their library. If this is so, we are
>seriously considering not lending to or borrowing from them. Anyone
>else have any opinions on this? Or any other news? Debra Mack
>dhmack@netcom.com Ross & Hardies Chicago, IL
>
>
-- Nanna K. Frye Law Librarian Calif. Court of Appeal, 4th Dist., Div. 1 750 B St., Ste. 300 San Diego, CA 92101-8196 619/645-2833 FAX: 619/645-2850 e-mail: nfrye@ix.netcom.com
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