This continuing education curriculum and related materials are designed to provide library professionals with a general orientation to the issues and process of negotiating and successfully securing an automation contract. The course syllabus includes the following topics: (1) definition and objectives of a contract; (2) why vendors typically have the negotiations advantage; (3) why the buyer should negotiate; (4) the principled negotiation method; (5) classic vendor techniques (ploys) to undermine negotiation; (6) performance examinations for functions, reliability, data load, full load response time, and storage capacity; and (7) remedies for vendor non-performance. Both good and poor examples are then provided of contractual language used to specify the terms of theoretical contracts. Some of the areas covered by this language include equipment; software; maintenance; patents, copyrights, and proprietary rights; ownership of data and index files; effects of regulation; insurance; warranties; arbitration; payment; software licenses; installation; limitation of liability; and schedules. Language spelling out the specifications for each of six performance examinations is also provided. (CGD)