[WEB4LIB] "systems librarians"

[Thomas Edelblute]

Since I am a hardware person, I went for the A+ Certification from the Comptuer
Technology Industry Assocation.  For anything else, I recommend classes in the
operating system you are going to be working with for your system.  Since my library
is moving more and more into a Windows NT environment, this is what I am pursuing.
Larger systems, however, will need UNIX experts.

Alice McNeil wrote:

> > > I would like to learn more about that myterious role of the
> > > "systems librarian"  because it will benefit me tremendously here to take on
> > > a little bit of that role.  Where do I start?  I was thinking
> > > - a computer science class of an "introduction to computer systems."  ???
>
> > The book, The Systems Librarian by Thomas Wilson, pub by ALA last year is
> > not a bad place to start for general descriptions.
>
> I recently read Wilson's book, including the relevant chapter entitled
> "The Education of a Systems Librarian".  I was still left in the dark as
> to how one becomes a "systems librarian."  Wilson emphasizes hands on
> experience as a significant source of "systems" knowledge, but doesn't
> go into any detail as far as educational requirements.
>
> What kind (if any) formal education is recommended to qualify for these
> positions:  a B.A. in computer science?  A minor in computer science?
> Microsoft certification in Novell and NT?  Is there a mentoring
> arrangement where one systems person learns from another more
> experienced technician?
>
> I'd also be curious to know how many women work as systems librarians.
> "Systems", appears to be a male dominated area of librarianship.
>
> Alice McNeil
> Public Services Librarian
> Sr. Madeleine Sophie Cooney Library
> Barat College
> 700 E. Westleigh Road
> Lake Forest, IL 60045



--
Thomas Edelblute
Anaheim Public Library