One of the big shifts for me - a newbie to library science who switched
over from industry late last spring - is just how many people _outside_
the college I interface with, part of that being the open source
community. And I LOVE that aspect of my job, knowing that therešs a larger
community out there, ready to share information with and support one
another.
-Bethany
On 3/2/16, 9:21 AM, "Code for Libraries on behalf of Brian Kennison"
<[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>On Mar 1, 2016, at 9:39 PM, Fitchett, Deborah
><[log in to unmask]<mailto:[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
>
>If someone has no experience in libraries and gets thrust into this
>culture from something quite different, then no matter how quickly they
>pick up the tech they risk feeling very adrift in terms of how Things Are
>Done Around Here and jangling with people because each party is trying to
>interact in very different ways.
>
>Or they may be a perfect fit culturally and that's why they've made the
>move! But it's worth keeping a watch to be sure there aren't any "culture
>shock" incidents, or if there are to deal with them before they cause too
>much stress.
>
>Deborah
>
>+1
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