General Consulting

System staff members are available to consult with members by telephone, electronic mail, instant messenger or onsite visit. The assistance can take a variety of forms:

• general visits to keep you informed about system activities
• brief answers to specific questions
• meeting with library boards or other community groups
• one-on-one training programs
• in-depth assistance with special projects.

Professional advice and assistance is available to all member libraries on an individual basis. This service can be arranged and customized to meet your individual needs. In addition to general consulting on a broad range of topics, specialized consulting in such areas as children’s services,  building planning, automation and bibliographic conversion, and technology is also available.

We hope to visit every library as often as necessary, but at least once every year. Please call us whenever you would like us to visit your library.

Topics for Consulting

We can provide consulting assistance on a wide range of library service and management issues. A few of the topics on which general consulting service is commonly requested include:

• Library policies Strategic planning and Community Budget and finance Analysis
• Kansas library laws Relationship with local governments Space planning Collection management and weeding
• Library board issues Community relations and publicity
• Personnel issues Volunteers and Friends of the Library
• Programming School-Public library cooperation
• Legislative issues Fund raising and grant writing
• Library tax levies NEKLS grants and services
• Library board orientation and evaluation
• Staff training

Consultation on Youth and Children’s Issues

Building Consulting

Service Description

System staff are available to provide basic consulting service on space utilization, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other issues. In addition, NEKLS makes available the services of Hans Fischer, an experienced library architect, to provide consulting services regarding such issues as analysis of sites and existing buildings, utilization of existing library space, and criteria for selection of building program consultants and architects. Extensive architectural design services are beyond the scope of this program.

Requesting Building Consulting Assistance

Contact Jim Minges to discuss your building planning and evaluation needs. When appropriate, a referral will be provided to the architect for consulting services.

Libraries are encouraged to arrange for consulting services at the earliest possible stage in building projects in order to consider all building options and obtain the maximum benefit from this service.

Automation and Bibliographic Conversion Consulting

Service Description

System staff are available to assist with retrospective conversion and catalog migration projects, typically into the NExpress Shared Catalog, by providing training regarding material processing, weeding, shelf list preparation, and options for retrospective conversion.

NEKLS can assist libraries to seek funding for retrospective conversion projects.

Technology

Service Description

Contact Sharon Moreland to discuss your technology planning needs.  The Technology team is available to provide hardware, software, networking and Web development consulting, including quotes and documentation for Board presentations.