Sample Consulting Projects
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Every library and its campus setting are unique, and we tailor our services to address your library’s particular needs and budget. The following sample project descriptions provide an overview of some of the ways we might work with your library.
External Reviews
An external review can help you determine your library’s future direction by evaluating the library’s alignment with the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education and other important data benchmarks. ACRL consultants conduct external library reviews that are not part of a cyclical program review process where a self-study has been completed. For this type of review, two consultants research and study background materials and conduct a one-day in-person or virtual site visit. Consultants interview a wide variety of individuals and meet with groups to assess how your library meets the needs of your academic communities. They also conduct bench-marking comparisons against peers on key data points to determine how your institution is performing with respect to similar academic libraries. Using the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education as a framework, the consultants analyze their findings and prepare a 15-20 page report highlighting areas of strength, growth, improvement, and specific recommendations.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Sample base project fee: $16,000
Self-study Report Evaluation
Academic libraries are frequently tasked with conducting an internal self-study as part of an accreditation or institutional program review process. If your library is preparing a self-study report, an ACRL consultant can review the report before its final submission and provide recommendations for strengthening it. The consultant will evaluate your current report and prepare a 3-5 page feedback summary that addresses the library’s use of appropriate standards, service/program assessment, library performance, organizational effectiveness, and contributions to your institution’s mission and priorities.
Format: Virtual
Sample base project fee: $5,000
Stakeholder Input
Our consultants will work with you to design and facilitate a process that generates critical input from campus stakeholders and library user groups about any topic or issue facing your library. Information gathered in this process will provide you with a deeper understanding of your library stakeholders’ perspectives, priorities, values, needs, and expectations, creating a perfect foundation for building strategic plans, developing campus partnerships, or planning communication strategies. A consultant can develop and facilitate a half-day session of round-table discussions or a focus group of librarians, students, faculty, administrative staff, etc. You’ll receive a 3-5-page report summarizing any themes that emerged from discussion(s) and providing actionable suggestions for using these results to inform your library planning efforts. A stakeholder input project can also be an important piece of preparing a change management initiative, leadership development, strategic planning, or organizational effectiveness.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Sample base project fee: $6,000
Leadership Development
Leading in an academic library is especially challenging now due to the changes and pressures in libraries and higher education from balancing institutional priorities, creating supportive and inclusive workplaces, adapting to hybrid working environments, tackling student learning challenges, and coping with professional burnout. Consultants experienced with library leadership and one-on-one coaching will work with you individually or your leadership team to provide confidential support and development opportunities so you can lead your library in effective and impactful ways. This is a highly customizable project, scoped to meet your specific needs. Clients can also add additional sessions to the base package for longer-term support.
Each Leadership Development base package includes:
- A 30–60-minute initial assessment
- Five 90-minute sessions of facilitated discussions, enriching exercises, and reflective practices
- Suggestions for relevant tools and activities
- A personalized list of professional literature recommendations
- A mid-point progress check-in
Format: Virtual
Sample base project fee: $9,500
Strategic Thinking Staff Day
Making time to bring together all librarians and library staff members for a day of strategic thinking and planning can prepare your library for a successful strategic plan process. Our consultants will design a customized set of participatory activities and facilitate a one-day in-person or virtual staff engagement session designed to identify strengths and opportunities for the library and begin to articulate a desired future and a set of strategic directions. This type of staff day or staff retreat helps to ensure that each member of the library is engaged in the initial planning process and has opportunities for thoughtful contribution. It also creates a foundation for a strategic planning committee to build from or for smaller staff groups to continue planning work. This consulting project can also include an additional half-day guided discussion with the planning team or library administrators to synthesize results and create process for moving forward.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Sample base project fee: $15,000
Organizational Development
Our consultants can guide your staff through an inclusive organizational development process that encourages and builds on their ideas, experiences, and needs while offering new perspectives, tools, and approaches and challenging unexamined practices. Depending on your library’s needs, this service may be delivered as a half-day interactive session or as a multi-day series of thoughtful, engaging activities. ACRL consultants will work with you to design a process that includes all-staff participation and small group activities focused on conversations and exercises around your library’s and institution’s priorities and practices in the context of an evolving higher education landscape. This service focuses on building all-staff commitment to improving overall organizational effectiveness and advancing organizational growth and change.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Sample base project fee: $10,000
Library Dean or Director Search
Hiring the right new dean or director for your library can be a complex process. Our consultants will help you prepare and implement a successful search. Projects include an evaluation of the proposed search process (e.g. job ad, committee setup, interview questions, timeline, etc.) and an in-depth review of library stakeholders’ needs and expectations. Consultants conduct a one-day in-person or virtual site visit as well as qualitative interviews with your campus community. Consultants prepare a 13-17-page report that synthesizes their findings, the unique opportunities of this leadership position, your library community’s desired qualities in a leader, and specific recommendations for attracting a quality pool of applicants to this role.
Format: Virtual or in-person
Sample base project fee: $13,000
Learn More
Meet our consultants, see what past clients have to say, and check out our webinar recording to learn how our consultants can help your academic library grow and thrive.
We are accepting new clients! Reach out to us to share more about your project needs and learn how we can support your academic library.
