Comments on: System librarians 2.0 http://commonplace.net/2008/10/system-librarians-20/ Library2.0 and beyond Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:40:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Andy Ekins http://commonplace.net/2008/10/system-librarians-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2014 Andy Ekins Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:11:52 +0000 http://commonplace.net/?p=275#comment-2014 I have worked in computing most of my adult life. For 6 of those years I was a systems administrator for an College and then for a University. I also have a degree in computing and numerous work related qualifications. However, when I moved to the library systems team 6 years ago I had zero knowledge of library systems. I say all this because I seem to be the odd one out (well in the UK anyway). Most Library Systems people I have met seem to be Librarians that have moved into library systems work. I find this amazing that these people seem to have just as much (if not more) computing knowledge as me when they haven't the qualifications or experience. I, on the other hand, even after 6 years still feel that my Library knowledge is lacking, which is why I'm think of doing this degree next year: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/distance-learning/section-02/ So this is why I think there needs to be more emphasis placed upon converging the roles of Librarian and Systems administrator. A degree or qualification in Library and Information Computing Systems might just fill this gap. Having said all that you seem to have a different way of looking at it at your institution. :) I have worked in computing most of my adult life. For 6 of those years I was a systems administrator for an College and then for a University. I also have a degree in computing and numerous work related qualifications. However, when I moved to the library systems team 6 years ago I had zero knowledge of library systems. I say all this because I seem to be the odd one out (well in the UK anyway). Most Library Systems people I have met seem to be Librarians that have moved into library systems work. I find this amazing that these people seem to have just as much (if not more) computing knowledge as me when they haven’t the qualifications or experience. I, on the other hand, even after 6 years still feel that my Library knowledge is lacking, which is why I’m think of doing this degree next year: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/distance-learning/section-02/

So this is why I think there needs to be more emphasis placed upon converging the roles of Librarian and Systems administrator. A degree or qualification in Library and Information Computing Systems might just fill this gap.

Having said all that you seem to have a different way of looking at it at your institution.
:)

]]> By: Owen Stephens http://commonplace.net/2008/10/system-librarians-20/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Owen Stephens Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:56:14 +0000 http://commonplace.net/?p=275#comment-6 I would say that what Ex Libris (and we in the UK) term 'System Librarians' are essentially 'Application Administrators' - as you say, the boundaries are fuzzy, and in the end it has to be a local decision how tasks are divided up between the various teams. In my experience, security often seems to be a major deciding factor - what level of permission do you need to carry out a task. I think that getting the right teams with the right responsibilities and the right skills is one of the hardest things to get right with IT system implementations. In the UK HE sector there tends to be a tension between IT department based teams, and Library department based teams - and of course links with staffing and other budgets can make these tensions political as well as practical. Unfortunately I think these issues also lead to problems in the development of the use of IT in Libraries - this question of whether you have library-based expertise, or outsource to IT departments. Although I'm in favour of outsourcing some of the system admin tasks to IT - e.g. OS installation and patching, H/W setup and maintenance, I also believe that we need strong technical teams in libraries who can do development as well as application configuration - but it seems to be a fine line to walk, and working with limited budgets having dedicated technical staff for the library system looks like (and possibly is) a luxury. I would say that what Ex Libris (and we in the UK) term ‘System Librarians’ are essentially ‘Application Administrators’ – as you say, the boundaries are fuzzy, and in the end it has to be a local decision how tasks are divided up between the various teams. In my experience, security often seems to be a major deciding factor – what level of permission do you need to carry out a task.

I think that getting the right teams with the right responsibilities and the right skills is one of the hardest things to get right with IT system implementations. In the UK HE sector there tends to be a tension between IT department based teams, and Library department based teams – and of course links with staffing and other budgets can make these tensions political as well as practical. Unfortunately I think these issues also lead to problems in the development of the use of IT in Libraries – this question of whether you have library-based expertise, or outsource to IT departments.

Although I’m in favour of outsourcing some of the system admin tasks to IT – e.g. OS installation and patching, H/W setup and maintenance, I also believe that we need strong technical teams in libraries who can do development as well as application configuration – but it seems to be a fine line to walk, and working with limited budgets having dedicated technical staff for the library system looks like (and possibly is) a luxury.

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