The Consultants' Corner—The RFP in the Automation Procurement Process

Five prominent consultants—Susan Baerg Epstein, James Rush, Jose‐Marie Griffiths, Rob McGee, and Wilson Stahl—address the development and use of the request for proposals (RFPs) in the library automation procurement process. Most consultants agree that the RFP is an effective means of selecting a system, if used properly. But it can be misused, is frequently substituted for sound judgment and intelligent decision making on the part of library staff, and is expensive. Librarians often focus so much on preparing the RFP that the goals of the planning process are lost. The preparation of the RFP is only one step in the procurement and installation process. It should be viewed as one intermediate objective, which must be coordinated with others to achieve successful results.