Amigos Consults, Brings Results

In addition to the other valuable services it provides, Amigos has earned high praise for its consulting roles on a number of successful projects.

Utah State Library
Amigos CEO Bonnie Juergens led a team that consulted on a project for the Utah State Library (USL). The USL had received Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Amigos consultant team that included Robert S. Martin, Florence Mason, Steve Brown, and Maribel Castro along with Juergens was asked to evaluate the USL’s current five-year plan to determine if the funds were being spent in accordance with IMLS guidelines. The team was also asked to survey Utah librarians and develop recommendations for programs to be funded in the next five-year plan.

State Librarian Donna Jones Morris described the Amigos team’s work as exceptional. “The highly professional manner in which you conducted the LSTA Five Year Plan formal evaluation led to significant results that were and will be extremely useful for the State Library,” Morris said. She noted that work done by the Amigos team on the USL’s new five year plan will make the plan “more comprehensive and highly beneficial to the State Library’s future operations, and therefore to the whole of Utah.” She added, “Thank you seems inadequate for the service you provided, but it is well deserved.”

Lavaca County, TX
With the assistance of the Amigos Imaging & Preservation Service (IPS), Lavaca County, TX, obtained a Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to conduct a survey of the county courthouse and county clerk’s office. The county had an abundance of historic records dating back to its founding in 1846, among them valuable documents signed by Texas legend Sam Houston. Unfortunately most of these valuable materials were scattered throughout the courthouse and in poor storage conditions. The courthouse itself was in desperate need of renovation.

Amigos IPS Adjunct Preservation Field Services Officer Rebecca Elder conducted a site survey and needs assessment, reported her findings, and helped the county formulate a conservation plan. With IPS’s help, staff in the county clerk’s office learned how to properly house its documents. County officials were persuaded of the need for a complete courthouse renovation, and long term plans were developed to digitize important documents for greater public access.

In a letter to IPS Manager Gina Minks, Lavaca County Clerk Elizabeth Kouba said, “Our County has benefited from our relationship with Amigos.” She added that Amigos helped “in prioritizing the conservation needs for our collection and has awakened us to the specific requirements that should be included in the facility to protect our collection for generations.”

Missouri River Regional Library
Amigos Chief Communications and Membership Development Officer Tracy Byerly talked about her recent consulting opportunity. “Helen Rigdon, library director at Missouri River Regional Library in Jefferson City, MO, was looking for a consultant to help her Board Strategic Planning committee move forward. After an exchange of emails, she decided I was the right fit. The committee decided they wanted help with the first stages – revision of the mission and vision statements – and input on ways to approach strategic planning. This allowed me to write a proposal and offer a price quote, which they accepted.

Not many weeks later, we had a very successful Saturday morning meeting in which Board members and others from the community worked to create the new mission and vision statements. I recently sent the library documentation with a variety of options for moving forward on strategic planning, and I believe they are well on their way!”

Rigdon said of the experience, “We enjoyed and appreciated Tracy’s help and guidance! She kept us on track but also was lots of fun. Thanks, Tracy!”

Contact Amigos if you would benefit from external consultation in digitization, nonprofit organizational governance, preservation, project management, resource sharing, staff development, strategic planning, technical services, or workflow analysis.