Tell me what’s going on. If you’re facing a renewal, a vendor dispute, or an AI policy decision, you don’t need a perfect message: just enough context for me to point you in the right direction.
Why Me?
- Both sides of the sales call: 20 years across public librarianship and library vendors.
- Recognized work: Library Journal Movers & Shakers (Tech Leaders) and an Ohio Library Council Innovation Award.
- Independent: no commissions, no sponsored recommendations, no vendor kickbacks.
Or email directly: sam@unhingedlibrarian.com
To get a useful reply faster, include:
- Vendor name + product (if relevant)
- What decision is coming (renewal, rollout, policy, board meeting)
- Your timeline ("by Friday", "next board meeting", etc.)
Subject: Contract renewal question (needs decision by [date])\n\nHi Sam: We’re a [public/academic] library serving ~[size]. Our [vendor/product] renewal is coming up on [date]. The clause I’m stuck on is: “[paste clause]”.\n\nWe’re trying to decide [what decision]. Can you sanity-check the risk and what we should push back on?
What I Can Help With
- Contract questions – Send me the clause that's bothering you. I've probably seen it before.
- Vendor red flags – Not sure if something's normal or sketchy? I can give you context.
- Consulting – Yes, I do consulting. If you're reaching out about a project, share your timeline, budget range, and what decision you're trying to make.
- Horror stories – Sometimes you just need someone who gets it. I do.
- Article suggestions – Is there something you wish someone would write about? Tell me.
- ATLAS questions – Working on open-source library systems? Let's talk.
What I Can't Help With
- Vendor recommendations – I don't do endorsements. I'll tell you what questions to ask, not who to buy from.
- Legal advice – I can explain what a contract clause usually means, but I'm not a lawyer.
- Sponsorships / paid partnerships – I don’t run sponsored posts or pay-for-play recommendations. The site stays independent.
Privacy note: I don't share emails or stories without explicit permission. If you want to stay anonymous, just say so - I've kept plenty of sources confidential over the years.
Response Time
I read everything. I reply to most things within a few days, though vendor horror stories sometimes get bumped to the front of the queue because they make my day.