What I don't understand is that many large and mid-sized libraries also
make very extensive use of LibGuides. These are libraries that usually
have a few dozen librarians and twice as many staff. You'd think that with
90+% of library resources being in electronic format now that these
libraries would have a whole team of people with very good IT skills for
managing technology and servers and online resources, but most libraries
are lucky to have even *one* of those people.

I do definitely see the appeal of using LibGuides in an environment where
campus IT has very strict policies, but that seems like taking the lesser
of two evils. At least being locked into a campus IT system provides a
consistent look and feel (if little else).

Josh Welker
Information Technology Librarian
James C. Kirkpatrick Library
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO 64093
JCKL 2260
660.543.8022


-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Ross Singer
Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2013 9:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] LibGuides: I don't get it

I don't think the remedy to a lack of technology skills is to make
librarians into shade tree sysadmins.

*That's* the expense that gets swept under the rug in the open source
argument. Most advocates have systems administrators and infrastructure to
support implementing things themselves and grossly underestimate the cost
when that environment doesn't exist.

-Ross.

On Sunday, August 11, 2013, Cornel Darden Jr. wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Lack of technology skills seems to be a recurring theme here. 21st
> century Librarians shouldn't lack any technology skills. Those that do
> need to get them or look for another career.; or they are just hurting
> the patrons and institutions they serve.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Cornel Darden Jr.
> MSLIS
> Librarian
> Kennedy-King College
> City Colleges of Chicago
> Work 773-602-5449
> Cell 708-705-2945
>
> > On Aug 11, 2013, at 8:10 PM, stuart yeates
> > <[log in to unmask]<javascript:;>>
> wrote:
> >
> >> On 12/08/13 12:20, Andrew Darby wrote:
> >> I don't get this argument at all.  Why is it "counter productive to
> >> try
> to
> >> look at open source alternatives" if the vendor's option is
> >> relatively cheap?  Why wouldn't you investigate all options?
> >
> > If you have no in-house technical capability, the cost of looking at
> > an
> open source alternative can easily outweigh the multi-year licensing
fee.
> >
> > cheers
> > stuart
> > --
> > Stuart Yeates
> > Library Technology Services http://www.victoria.ac.nz/library/
>