I just wanted to say thank you for this thread. I recently jumped ship from industry and am still orienting myself. The non-technical aspects are a much bigger change than I anticipated; they are also precisely why I switched.

To be honest I feel like I still don’t even really know what libraries / librarians are yet.

Tom
(th5)

> On Mar 2, 2016, at 5:52 AM, Keith Gilbertson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> 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
>>