The role of the Special Libraries Association Consultation Service is to provide strategic, professional guidance to organizations that see a need to improve their systems of information collection and dissemination. The committee functions as a public service to aid all users of information and to benefit the special library profession. The service does not compete with professional consultants; it provides brief guidance with no monetary or material gain to the committee member(s) or to the Special Libraries Association.

The purpose of SLA consultations is to provide management with guidance on whether to establish a special library/information center, whether to abandon an existing one or whether to change an existing one. The consultation focuses on the strategic issues necessary for operating a library. Some consultations are merely hand holding. Such questions as where to find a person to catalog 50 books should continue to be answered. These guidelines cover formal Chapter consultation visits.

1. Consultation generally takes place at the Chapter level. Divisions which do consulting must use these guidelines as well. The Chapter consultation committee consists of a chair plus one or more members. Each chair and committee member should have a master's degree in library or information science, a minimum of five years working experience and excellent communication skills--both oral and written. This will give a firm base of knowledge to the committee so it can provide sound advice.

2. Professional library consultants should not be consultation chairs. Professional library consultants can serve on the consultation committees only if they understand that absolutely no monetary gain can be obtained by their firm either before, during or within a period of two years following the pro bono consultation.

3. Initial contact with the users of SLA's consultation services may come from referral from SLA headquarters, from referral from the Chapter president or from Chapter members.

4. The Consultation Chair must evaluate whom to send on the consultation. Members of the committee may do the consultation or others from the Chapter may go. If possible, the person sent should run a library/information service in the same or similar field as the organization requesting the consultation. Care should be taken to avoid any conflicts of interest. If non-committee members are sent, the person must have the same experience and educational qualifications as committee members.

5. The meeting with the user takes place in the user's offices. It should last no longer than one-half day. The consultation committee representative listens carefully to the user's problems, evaluates the situation and discusses the situation with the user in general terms. This is the time to talk about library automation, databases, salary ranges, online resources as well as marketing. Remember to leave behind copies of the Association Consultation Service brochure.

6. While the consultation committee member focuses on the strategic issues necessary in establishing a library/information center, no tactical issues are discussed. That is a job for a professional consultant. The committee representative does not write specifications. Therefore, no equipment should be specified by brand name and no specific hires, absolute size of staff, exact number of volumes or specific titles should be named. Failure to recognize this may result in lawsuits against the Special Libraries Association, the consultation Committee member or the consultation committee member's employer.

7. If the user asks for recommendations for professional consultants, refer the person first to CONSULT Online, the database of SLA member consultants at http://www.sla.org/consultonline/. Here, too, caution is advised. Recommending one consultant can be deemed collusion; recommending yourself is unethical. Both instances are grounds for lawsuits.

8. Following the meeting, no extensive written reports should be sent to the user. Within a week of the meeting, a short note stating that the consultation committee representative enjoyed meeting the user, hopes that the discussion helped and wishes the user luck in the establishment of a library/information center should be sent. Brochures such as those mentioned in the earlier paragraph may be included.

9. All consultations are confidential. Just as it is inappropriate for a lawyer to discuss his/her client's problems and concerns with others, so is it wrong to discuss consultations with others.

10. As with any committee, reports must be sent to the Chapter President in April. Care must be taken to maintain confidentiality in reports to the Chapter board. During the Chapter year reports following each consultation must be sent to the Director, Information Resources at the Association Office. See the attached Consultation Report. The Director, Information Resources will maintain a file of these and will send an additional copy to the Chair of the Consultation Services Committee. The committee will follow-up with a small sample of these to evaluate how the service is being received.

IV. Responsibility

The Chair, Consultation Services Committee is responsible for monitoring the compliance with this policy, with appropriate assistance from the SLA staff liaisons.

Revised: August 2001
Approved: 1995
Format approved 1989
Supersedes: 1988
Supersedes: 1984