2019 Charleston Library Conference

Negotiating on behalf of our libraries and companies is something those of us in acquisitions, technical services, and publishing engage in on a weekly or daily basis. License terms can go through seemingly endless rounds of revision and discussion, while new subscriptions or one-time purchases involve rigorous negotiation at local and consortial levels. Perhaps you have mastered this delicate interplay of requests, demands, and compromises when dealing with official business, but do you champion your own professional needs with the same confidence? Do you tap into your negotiation acumen when it comes to recognizing and articulating your career goals and desired trajectory?

Whether you are new to the profession, positioning yourself for a promotion, or contemplating a career change, it’s essential to advocate for your own worth the same way you would for your library or company. This session is designed to help early and mid-career attendees strategically translate their negotiation repertoires to their career development goals.

Panelists will share their approaches and experiences with general negotiation and career bargaining. These accounts will be contextualized within larger trends, such as the systemic undervaluing of library labor and conflation of professionalism and passivity. Attendees can expect to come away with practical skills related to inventorying their worth or value in the industry, taking stock of their priorities and deal breakers, and strategically pursuing both external and internal opportunities.