Skills for reference staff

[A.W. Helfman]

        I work in a very small academic institution that has *no* computing
staff, so I have no choice but to be the in-house computer expert!!

        And, if I may open a tangential thread:  We have the funds to
automate (!) our library and expect to do so within the next few years.  I
am trying to decide what I should do in terms of continuing education so
that I will be able to coordinate the automation process and be the system
administrator.  The most recent version of the system we are most likely to
purchase (the library director feels that since there is no perfect option,
we should wait a few years longer before we automate...don't get me
started!!) is a UNIX-based client-server setup.  I am a proficient UNIX
user, and last year I took computer programming at the university where I
worked.  I'm not sure if I should pursue a certificate in LAN
administration, or take a course in C programming and work toward a
certificate in UNIX system adminstration, or if there is some better, third
or fourth option.

        All advice gratefully accepted!

Amy W. Helfman (helfman at huc.edu)
Judaica Librarian
HUC-JIR, New York
Personal homepage:  http://www.albany.edu/~helfman/