I'm Sam Chada. I spent two decades watching library technology from both sides of the sales call - first as a public library director building digital media labs and lending programs before they were trendy, then inside the vendor world at OverDrive (employee #70), Baker & Taylor, CollectionHQ, and Trellis Law.
Past talks and workshops: /speaking/
I was in the room when vendors decided to charge libraries three times what consumers pay for ebooks. I watched the same sales reps rotate between competing companies, taking customer intelligence with them. I sat through the quarterly sales meetings where the real pricing strategies were discussed.
Selected Recognition
- Library Innovation Award (Ohio Library Council, 2015): Sandusky Library Internet & Roku lending programs
- Mover & Shaker (Library Journal, 2012): Tech Leaders profile
- Utah Volunteer of the Year (Soldiers’ Angels, 2020)
- President’s Volunteer Service Award (2014): 100+ hours, Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Though I learned more about vendor tactics by sitting through those quarterly meetings than I ever did in a classroom.
Where I've Worked
- Public Library Director – Built digital media labs and lending programs Secured $250,000 in community funding for digital initiatives. Launched Wi-Fi and Roku lending programs that other libraries later copied.
- OverDrive – Employee #70 Early team member at the company that came to dominate library ebook lending.
- Baker & Taylor Watched a vendor collapse from the inside. Now I write about it.
- CollectionHQ Collection analytics and data-driven library management.
- Trellis Law Legal technology for libraries.
What I Do Now
I run The Unhinged Librarian, where I translate insider vendor knowledge into practical tools that help libraries stop getting screwed by the companies that are supposed to serve them.
I also build ATLAS, an open-source library management system designed around data sovereignty and accessibility - because libraries shouldn't have to choose between functionality and owning their own data.
Vendor Evaluation
I write guides that tell you what questions to ask and what answers to be suspicious of.
AI Literacy
Content for people who've been told they're "not technical." You are. You just need better explanations.
Contract Analysis
I've seen the clauses vendors hope you won't read. Now I help you find them.
Open Source
Building tools that give libraries control over their own systems and data.
Why "Unhinged"?
Because I will tell you when you don't need what someone is selling.
I don't have vendor partnerships. I don't do sponsored content. I don't make money recommending products. Everything on this site is my honest opinion, informed by years of watching how vendor decisions actually get made.
And occasionally, I set fire to authority records. Metaphorically.
Start Here
If you're new, these articles give you a sense of what I write about:
- Why Baker & Taylor's Collapse Was Just The Preview – The insider account that started the series
- AI at the Reference Desk – The training your vendor didn't give you
- How to Talk to Your Board About Cybersecurity – Scripts that actually get funding approved
- Your Vendor is 200 HTML Files in a Trench Coat – How library "platforms" actually work
Get in Touch
Have a vendor horror story? Questions about a contract? Want to share what's happening at your library? I'd love to hear from you.