Position postings

[Carolyn Wilson]

At 06:43 15/11/96 -0800, you wrote:

I'd like to add my two bob's worth to this really interesting discussion. 

I am in the interesting position of having both library and computing
degrees, and experience in both fields. I am currently employed as a 'techo'
in a library, and find it works really well. Just as a librarian doesn't
have expert knowledge of every area of librarianship, so if I need expert
knowledge on a particular area, I ask the experts who work in that area. But
having experience as a librarian gives me an understanding at a cultural
level of the library environment. I don't need to have explained 'why' we
need to have things a particular way.

We have a number of highly 'technically literate' librarians who are quite
self-sufficient when it comes to computing matters, but just do not have the
level of understanding and ability that comes from formal training in a
discipline. They fall into the same category mentioned below - they would
probably get many technical jobs in libraries if they were being employed by
librarians, but would have real problems. If librarians are really serious
about working in computing, they should upgrade their qualifications.
Experience is great, and in some areas especially in new areas where the
theory and training hasn't caught up with what is actually happening, such
as the web, it may be all you have. But to suggest that someone can be
self-taught in computing and acquire the same level of expertise as someone
with a formal qualification is as insulting to computing professionals as
the same suggestion would be to librarians.


But we are in changing times - librarians MUST be technically capable, and
librarianship training must include increasing amounts of computing
training. The lines are starting to blur, and I think the hard stuff is not
about who we employ in technical positions, but how we determine and then
train librarians in the skills they need.


>I have seen to many wanna be techo's who 'have the experience' but who
>in fact end up at a result by sheer brute force and ignorance rather
>than any understanding and who end up wasting my time and their's. If I
>want to be a librarian I will go do a degree that prepares me with the
>knowledge and mindsets for that job. If you wanna be a techo then go do
>the study to get the mindset of a techo. Unfortunately ( or fortunately
>) a degree seems to be the only indicator that is round that can give an
>indication of the minsetd necessary.
>
>Darryl West
>System Administrator Internet Services Unit


Carolyn Wilson
Library Systems Officer
Murdoch Library
Murdoch University
Western Australia
phone:(09) 360 6556
fax: (09) 310 2780
c_wilson at portia.murdoch.edu.au