PRIORITIZING FIRM ORDER COSTS AND VENDOR SERVICES

Conference participants were ''transformed'' into bookselling companie s, given a compilation of financial data and asked to develop business plans. The companies were expected to increase the contribution earne d, maintain competitive service, consider the realities of the market and make decisions that reflected the values deemed important by the ' 'employees,'' One goal of the exercise was to introduce acquisitions a nd collection development librarians to the complexities and ambiguiti es of the business decisions faced by vendors. Another was to prepare librarians for the negotiations associated with outsourcing. The metho ds and results of the exercise are discussed.