I also agree very much with what Deborah wrote. I'd come from an
IT/software development background, and even after a couple of years in
libraries, I hadn't adjusted to library culture. I was frustrated enough to
write a paper about it and present at ACRL:

http://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/23885
Mutant Superheroes, Contained Chaos, and Smelly Pets: Library Innovation
through Imaginary Anarchy

Reading my paper now, I recognize that I was completely wrong about a few
things (meetings aren't always terrible), and the tone seems entitled to me
today. But two of the things that I noticed that are considered good about
library culture were very stressful to me as a library newbie, and match
what Deborah has pointed out:

- Emphasis on collaboration and consensus
- Expectation to work on multiple, simultaneous projects

By the way, I've adjusted my attitude somewhat, and we've gotten better at
doing IT and software in the library and in our group, so I'm happy in
libraries now.


On Tue, Mar 1, 2016 at 9:39 PM, Fitchett, Deborah <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I actually feel that the tech side of library things may be less
> bewildering to a non-tech person than the *culture*. Things like:
>
> * the way any progress happens in University Time
> * the way we're dependent on vendors in ways that mean that yes, often our
> systems SUCK but we just have to play the hand we're dealt
> * the sometimes-fraught relationship between Library IT and University IT
> * the customer-focus of the library - including colleagues as customers
> * and relatedly, the collaborative nature of so much library work
> * depending on where they've come from and how well you're staffed, the
> very "bitsy" nature of Library IT, not just in having to know about lots of
> things but having to jump from one thing to another at a moment's notice to
> troubleshoot instead of being able to get stuck into a project
>