[WEB4LIB] IT Position Description: Cross-Fertilization

[suekamm at mindspring.com]

Craighton Hippenhammer wrote:

  In the academic realm there seems to be a theory that mixing up 
  job duties =
  in everyone's job descriptions is beneficial to both the librarian and 
  the =
  institution in a sort of cross-fertilization way.  I think this idea is =
  foreign to public libraries, and from my experience in PLs would be 
  =
  abhorrent to them.  (What?  Put a cataloger on the Reference Desk?  
  You =
  crazy?)

I am one who thinks that catalogers who do nothing but catalog all day  and DON'T work on a reference desk do not often understand how the public uses the catalog.  In my library (a medium-sized public library) people who catalog DO work on reference desks.

  Just wondering whether anyone feels strongly one way or another 
  concerning =
  this.  I realize that in smaller institutions, staff often have to wear =
  many hats, but is it preferable?  Or is that wasting personality-type =
  orientation, talent and interest?  

My library (Inglewood, CA Public Library) has seven full-time librarians 
(not including administratiave staff).   We do wear different hats.  I, for 
example, am in charge of our audio-visual and stack maintenance 
divisions, and as the AV librarian I perform selection and cataloging.  

The Los Angeles Public Library system at one time had a job exchange 
program, where librarians at the Central Library -- who tend to be 
subject specialists, since that library is a research center -- would 
exchange jobs with a branch librarian.  As a substitute librarian I 
worked in numerous LAPL branches as well as Central Library subject 
departments.  I think such job switching can be beneficial to both the 
individuals involved and the library.  In many libraries there is an "us" 
(central main/library) versus "them" (branches) attitude.  By 
encouraging job swapping the boundaries can be dropped.

  A related question:  assuming a moderately competent computer 
  center, how =
  many students must a college or university have before you can 
  justify =
  having a full-time IT librarian?

About the same time our library got more computers through the 
Gates Foundation, we were able to convince the powers-that-be that 
we needed a full-time techie.  He's not a librarian, but he 
trouble-shoots any computer workstations that present problems.  

Rather than looking at student enrollment as a factor in hiring an IT 
specialist, I suggest examining your current computer setup.  How 
many workstations do you have?  How old is your system (sometimes I 
think when someone sneezes, the computer they're using becomes 
immediately obsolete)?  What are your workstations used for -- 
catalog and subscription databases, unlimited Internet access, word 
processing?  If you don't have a resident techie, who takes care of 
your equipment?  Is the library high on your campus computer people's 
priority list when there are problems?  

HTH!
--
Your friendly CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor-at-large,
Sue Kamm
Truest of the Blue, Los Angeles Dodgers Think Blue Week 2000
Visit my home page:  
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