Eric hit the nail on the head, Unix is not inherently needed for many
libraries, but it can be useful for more technically inclined librarians to
know Linux.  I am a digital content librarian at my institution and I
actually know neither system, though I wish I had a better understanding of
Linux.  Yet I am able to do a lot of work on assorted projects due to
knowledge in XML, scripting, and other such technical skills.  So if you
really want to promote people learning Unix, and probably actually Linux,
you should help them to see where it will empower them to do more in their
work.

On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 10:09 AM, Eric Lease Morgan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Learning Unix is not necessarily the problem to solve. Instead it is means
> to an end.
>
> To my mind, there are number of skills and technologies a person needs to
> know in order to provide (digital) library service. Some of those
> skills/technologies include: indexing, content management (databases),
> programming/scripting, HTTP server management, XML manipulation, etc. While
> these technologies exist in a Windows environment, they are oftentimes more
> robust and specifically designed for a Unix (read “Linux”) environment.
>
> —
> Eric Morgan
>