This article is from the Libraries FAQ, by Anthony Wilson paw@iglou.com with numerous contributions by others.
outsourcing, noun, the procuring of services from an outside provider
in order to cut costs.
Example: On March 31, 1995, the Chicago office of the law firm Baker &
McKenzie fired its 10-person law library staff. While it had become
common for law firms and other businesses to contract out specific
library duties (cataloging, loose-leaf filing, etc.), at Baker &
McKenzie all library services were outsourced. On March 17, 1997,
Baker & McKenzie hired law librarian Barbara A. Schmid, as manager of
library services. Baker & McKenzie insisted the hiring was not a
retreat on library outsourcing.
For information on library oursourcing, see these bibliographies:
Library Outsourcing, from the Internet Library for Librarians,
http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/adm_outs.htm
Selected References On Contracting Out And Outsourcing Library
Services, from the SLA,
http://www.sla.org/membership/irc/contract.html
 
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