[WEB4LIB] RE: outsourcing/consultants for library computer programming

[J.M. Latham]

I agree with Dan.  One large public library which shall remain nameless
has no qualms about paying marketing people of a younger age *very* good
money but balks seriously at the salaries expected by techie types --
whether they be programmers or librarians.  

Part of the problem is how libraries have traditionally dealt with
technology, period.  The CS folks were never considered a *real* part of
the library, and administrators never saw technical applications as real
librarianship, so the strategy was always to get away as cheaply as
possible.

Joyce



On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Dan Lester wrote:

> 
> Sunday, April 01, 2001, 1:38:02 PM, you wrote:
> 
> LBA> I agree with you when you say ".. the next steps in delivering libraries
> LBA> thorugh the web have to do with integrating and customizing systems. To
> LBA> accomplish these steps, we
> LBA> need programmers..."  The problem is the pay programmers can command is way
> LBA> out of line with what libraries are able to pay.  My observation has been
> LBA> that library salaries for technical staff are easily 1/3 less than what
> LBA> those folks can earn in the business world.
> 
> The problem isn't what libraries are able to pay, it is what they're
> willing to pay.  Money can be found if it is a high enough priority.
> However, most library administrators aren't happy when they have to pay
> "a mere techie" more than they make themselves, particularly if that
> techie is half the age of the administrator.  So, they try to make do
> with librarians posing as techies or programmers, or student help
> (which may be quite good, but also quite temporary).  The other part
> of the problem is that most libraries don't need to have a full time
> "programmer" or "software engineer" or whatever, and most of those
> people don't want to spend half of their lives doing boring stuff like
> installing PCs and holding users' hands.
> 
> cheers
> 
> dan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan at RiverOfData.com
> 3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
> www.riverofdata.com  www.postcard.org  www.gailndan.com 
> 
>