In our systems class we have been grappling with the “what is a systems librarian” issue. Recent blog postings by Jennifer Macaulay and Corey Wallis have pondered similar issues.
While systems librarians can have many roles, the one thing they appear to have in common is an ability to bridge the gap between the library and techie worlds. So the big questions becomes how do you learn both languages? And are library schools providing the courses to enable graduates to fulfill this role?
The MLS program equips a graduate to understand library issues. But I do not believe that many schools provide the courses to help a graduate to understanding of the technical issues involved in a library.
In Hiring a systems librarian Dorothea Salo writes that “systems librarians are hard to find”. If we need more systems librarians is it not time that MLS programs developed the courses to train them.
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library systems
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on November 13, 2006 at 3:11 pm and is filed under Systems, library systems.
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November 16, 2006 at 1:06 am
[...] I really enjoy discovering new blogs by students in MLS/MLIS programs. The students often offer great insights into their programs and into other issues that concern libraries. In a recent post by a student taking a library systems course, the student asks What makes a systems librarian? The author writes: While systems librarians can have many roles, the one thing they appear to have in common is an ability to bridge the gap between the library and techie worlds. So the big questions becomes how do you learn both languages? And are library schools providing the courses to enable graduates to fulfill this role? [...]
November 18, 2006 at 8:59 am
[...] Recently I stumbled across a post entitled “What makes a system librarian?” by a MLIS student. Unfortunately they don’t provide their name so I’m not sure who they are. It’s interesting to me because it touches on similar thoughts that I have been having. [...]
November 21, 2006 at 9:41 pm
The problem is that librarianship has an extremely strong anti-tech wing that is lobbying against systems education for librarians. Read a bit of Michael Gorman; it’ll crisp your hair.
I believe the answer is not to train proto-librarians, but to recruit programmers to librarianship.
November 22, 2006 at 1:11 am
Do we really think that we can recruit programmers into librarianship?
The programmers I know don’t want to work in an environment which is not very tech friendly.
And the best programmers can get get paid so much more in other fields.
November 22, 2006 at 3:52 am
feefeeb, I think you make a an important point – especially for smaller libraries that really can’t afford to add more staff. I am a systems librarian who doesn’t do programming at work. Admittedly, I don’t have extensive coding experience. I do it when necessary – and thorougly enjoying writing scripts, hard coding our ILS web sites, etc. I could learn program since I have taken learned several different languages – but don’t really have time for coding, testing, recoding, retesting, etc. There are far too many other things to do. We could certainly do so much more with a programmer. Many libraries within larger institutions (especially large academic institutions) are able to afford programmers.
A very interesting discussion!!
February 11, 2007 at 8:13 am
I’ve been working in library for 11 years as a systems guy. 3 years ago I got my MLS in attempt to bridge the gap. I whish now that I had my library degree before my computer degree because I’m not welcome in the library still. In fact, they resent me. Now that I understand the overall library picture better than I ever have, and I know how technology can be employed to serve cataloging, acq, and circ… they won’t let me in. I’m just at the tip of the iceberg but I feel i do know how to merge technology with librarianship.. The generation of librarians at my library know this.. and hate this. why?