Library Advisory Boards: A Survey of Current Practice Among Selected Publishers and Vendors.

This article reviews publisher and vendor use of library advisory boards. While they are not new to the information industry, library advisory boards have assumed new importance. From the industry perspective, library advisory boards provide valuable market feedback concerning products and services. For librarians, membership on library advisory boards is an opportunity to learn about new products, provide feedback on existing products, and better understand the information marketplace. Recent literature is reviewed and a number of publishers and vendors are surveyed. The uses and organization of advisory boards and their value to both companies and the library community are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]