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This exploratory study describes state library development consultants in terms of choice of career, preparation for career, current positions, personal demographics, and appraisal of consulting work. The goal of the research was to provide information useful in planning for the recruitment, retention, training of future state library consultants and developing appropriate continuing education activities for existing consultants.
A questionnaire was mailed to 272 potential state library consultants with a response rate of 54%. Data were coded and analyzed for 121 consultants, representing state library agencies in 49 states. Results of the present study were compared to the findings of Marie Ann Long's 1965 study entitled The State Library Consultant at Work. Some of the significant findings about today's consultants include: (1) Forty-four percent were aware of state library consulting positions when they finished library school. (2) Sixty-three percent considered consulting work, more or less by accident--that is they were offered a consulting job or duties were added to current job. (3) Ninety-seven percent held master's in library science degrees. (4) The 3 main reasons for choosing consulting were attractiveness of the position, challenge of the work, and opportunities for professional growth. (5) Consultants see themselves with 3 new roles--mediators/facilitators and problem-solvers, information resource people, and leaders. (6) The mean age of consultants is 48 years. Women out number men almost 2 to 1. Most consultants are married and have incomes of $40,000 or above. (7)~The majority of consultants are white (95\%), with 1\% African American, and 2\% Asian. (8) The 3 chief satisfactions received from consulting were being in a position to take an active role, variety and challenge of the work and being professionally involved on a statewide level. (9) The main dissatisfactions expressed were--lack of time, political pressure, governmental restrictions, paper work, and inadequate operational budget for state agency. (10) The main areas in which consultants needed further training include: communications skills, negotiating and facilitating, public administration, computer technology, and library law.
Specific skills were also identified as essential for effective consulting and recommendations were made for state libraries, library schools and future researchers.