{{Infobox company | name = LAC Group | logo = | type = Private | foundation = Beverly Hills, California, U.S. (1986) | founder = Deb Schwarz | location = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | locations = 5 offices (2019) | area_served = North America | key_people = Deb Schwarz <small>(Founder)</small>, Rob Corrao <small>(CEO)</small> | industry = Library Services, Library & Research Staffing, Information & Asset Management, Consulting & Project Management | services = Staffing <br> Recruiting <br> Consulting <br> Technical Services | revenue = | owner = TZP Growth Partners | num_employees = 424 (2019) | caption = | homepage = [http://lac-group.com lac-group.com] }}
'''LAC Group''', formerly known as '''Library Associates Companies''' (LAC), is an information services vendor for research and intelligence, library operations, spend and cost management and media archiving. The company provides skilled staffing and consulting services primarily to law firms, Fortune 1000 corporations and government agencies.
==History== LAC Group was founded in 1986 by Deb Schwarz as a staffing agency specializing in law libraries.<ref name="llrx.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.llrx.com/features/outsourcing.htm|title=Features - Outsourcing in Law Firm Libraries <!-- Bot generated title -->|work=LLRX |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517012126/http://www.llrx.com/features/outsourcing.htm|archivedate=2008-05-17}}</ref><ref name="findarticles.com">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_33_26/ai_n6176508 |title=Shelf wealth: Deborah Schwarz started her career as a librarian without enough work to fill the day; now she's expanding her outsourcing service |work=Los Angeles Business Journal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050520211457/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_33_26/ai_n6176508|archive-date=2005-05-20}}</ref>
By 1989, it was offering technical services and serving other academic and other special libraries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.catalogingandclassificationquarterly.com/ccq23nr2news.html|title=CCQ Vol. 23, Nr. 2|work=Cataloging News<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> In 1999, Library Associates caused a stir in library circles and gained national attention when they were selected by Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP to manage their library operations.<ref name="llrx.com"/><ref name="findarticles.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.llrx.com/features/pms.htm|title=Features - Outsourcing a Private Law Library: In Defense of the Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro Decision<!-- Bot generated title -->|work=LLRX|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015142908/http://www.llrx.com/features/pms.htm|archive-date=2008-10-15}}</ref>
The company continued its expansion into different markets with its acquisition of Medical Library Consultants (MLC) from Betsey Beamish in 2001<ref name="findarticles.com"/> and of Sanad Support Technologies from Jodi and Fuad Suleiman in 2003.<ref name="findarticles.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://units.sla.org/chapter/cpnw/interface/2003/fall/news.html|title=sla {{!}}{{!}} pnw {{!}}{{!}} interface {{!}}{{!}} fall 2003 {{!}}{{!}} news<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722143443/http://units.sla.org/chapter/cpnw/interface/2003/fall/news.html|archive-date=2011-07-22}}</ref> With the acquisition of Sanad, Library Associates consisted of two divisions, Library Associates and Library Associates of Maryland, which were integrated as Library Associates Companies in 2007.
In 2009, the company name was changed to LAC Group. Subsequent acquisitions include spend management consulting firm Chase Cost Management in 2011, film archiving business PRO-TEK Vaults from Eastman Kodak in 2013, and competitive research agency ShiftCentral in 2019.
In 2023, LAC Group merged with HBR Consulting and Wilson Allen to form Harbor.<ref>{{cite news |title=HBR Consulting, LAC Group, and Wilson Allen relaunch as Harbor |url=https://legaltechnology.com/2023/08/18/hbr-consulting-lac-group-and-wilson-allen-relaunch-as-harbor/ |access-date=22 January 2026 |publisher=Legal IT Insider |date=18 August 2023}}</ref>
==Services== LAC Group's service lines of business include: Consulting & Project Management, Information & Asset Management, Library Staffing & Research Services, Legal Staffing, Managed Services, and Recruiting.
==See also== * Recruitment process outsourcing
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== *{{cite press release|title=Library Associates acquires library staffing and support services business from Sanad Support Technologies, Inc. |date=2003-10-01 |url=http://units.sla.org/chapter/cpnw/interface/2003/fall/news.html |accessdate=2008-02-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722143443/http://units.sla.org/chapter/cpnw/interface/2003/fall/news.html |archivedate=2011-07-22 }} *{{cite web |author=Darmiento, Laurence |title=Shelf Wealth |publisher=Los Angeles Business Journal |date=2004-08-16 |url=http://www.labusinessjournal.com/archive_article.asp?aID=03805592.4127468.1055730.2909764.9194103.682&aID2=81201 |accessdate=2008-02-01 }}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_33_26/ai_n6176508 Alt URL] *{{cite web |author=Ebbinghouse, Carol |title=Library Outsourcing |work=Searcher |publisher=Infotoday |date=April 2002 |url=http://www.infotoday.com/SEARCHER/apr02/ebbinghouse.htm |accessdate=2008-02-01 }} *{{cite web|author=Hammond, Janice |title=Outsourcing a Private Law Library: In Defense of the Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro Decision |publisher=LLRX |date=1999-05-16 |url=http://www.llrx.com/features/pms.htm |accessdate=2008-02-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015142908/http://www.llrx.com/features/pms.htm |archivedate=2008-10-15 }} *{{cite web|author=Pergament, Rachel |title=Outsourcing in Law Firm Libraries |publisher=LLRX |date=1999-04-01 |url=http://www.llrx.com/features/outsourcing.htm |accessdate=2008-02-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517012126/http://www.llrx.com/features/outsourcing.htm |archivedate=2008-05-17 }} *{{cite web |author=Southern California Online Users Group |title=Outsourcing Cataloging |work=Cataloging and Classification Quarterly |publisher=Haworth Press |year=1996 |url=http://www.catalogingandclassificationquarterly.com/ccq23nr2.html |accessdate=2008-02-01 }}
Category:Library-related organizations Category:Educational organizations established in 1986 Category:Employment agencies of the United States Category:1986 establishments in California Category:Competitive intelligence Category:Business services companies established in 1986 Category:Privately held companies based in Los Angeles