[WEB4LIB] Webmasters s/b librarians

[Sheryl Dwinell]

>   a) move a librarian into the position, with MAYBE some training?
>or
>   b) hire a guru from outside the realm of libraries?

Maybe? You almost make it sound like the options are taking any librarian in
the entire library, just because they have an MLS, or hiring someone who
"really" knows Web technology.  I don't think the options available to most
libraries are that stark. In fact, I would guess that most library
webmasters who were moved into those postions are probably the librarians
who have an interest in the Web and it's potential for distributing
information to the library's users and have taken it upon themselves to
learn on their own or take advantage of courses offered by their
institutions. Not only HTML, but how to run a web server, different
languages (PERL, javascript, etc.), CGI, graphics software, etc.etc. Some of
us actually wanted to be webmasters and applied for the jobs. :)  I know
that some others sort of got forced into it because there wasn't anyone else
to do the job. However, I'd guess (at least I hope) the majority of us
sought out training
either on our own or with our library's assistance & really like what we do
& have the technical skills or have access to others with those skills to
operate our sites effectively. You know, to be honest, most libraries
couldn't meet the salary requirements of a lot of professional webmasters.
Why would someone work at a library for $30K when they could go work for XYZ
Corporation for double that? We in academic institutions have seen a lot of
turn over in our Information Technology Departments because of the wide
disparity in pay between the business world and academe.  What library wants
to hire a 20 year old web guru who might be technically brilliant, but who
is only there to gain experience & move on? I know that librarians do this
too, but I get this sense that librarians work in libraries because they
love libraries. Why else would they enthusiastically do jobs for which they
are often underpaid?

There may be large libraries with sufficient budgets to hire Web designers,
interface design specialists, systems analysts, and programmers, but I doubt
that is the reality in most libraries.  A lot of librarians have taken on
some of those tasks and do a pretty damn good job of it.  As for librarians
being trained in graphic design, accounting and PR, I suspect you can find
lots who have, by default, taken on those roles. Public librarians come to
mind because they are asked to do a lot of PR work, but seldom have a budget
that would allow them to hire a PR expert. Are these librarians expert at
all those additional responsibilities they're asked to take on? No, but
their skills are sufficient to achieve the result desired by the library.

Getting back to the main point, I'm sure that anyone with the technical
skills to be a webmaster could apply those skills in a library, MLS or not.
But, perhaps the library doing the hiring thinks it's important for that
person to also have library experience. Just because they want someone with
an MLS doesn't mean that they don't also have to have the technical skills
required to fill the position.  I know I'm biased because I am a librarian,
but I do feel like it helps for anyone in the role of library webmaster to
have an understanding of the library world and how we operate.

>* Is it reasonable to expect that everyone in the organization who has an
MLS
>should make more many than ANYONE without one?

I just had to comment on this. Most libraries require an MLS to hold a
professional library position. It's the norm in the library world, like it
or not.  The professional librarian is considered to have more experience &
expertise, hence they get paid more, like it or not. However, in my own
experience (your mileage may vary), systems personnel with and without an
MLS often make higher salaries than most librarians.


My own 2 cents and then some!

Sheryl Dwinell
Webmaster/Database Management Librarian
Marquette University Libraries
Milwaukee, WI
414-288-3406
dwinells at vms.csd.mu.edu