I completely agree with Erich on this with 12 years of IT in libraries
under my belt and 20 years total in libraries if you count non IT
positions.  I've always felt certificates were more for people who want to
work at Google or Amazon or one of those nightmarish places.  In most cases
I think they're irrelevant in the nonprofit world and completely
unnecessary.  I also agree with Erich's thought that continuous learning is
very important, and I think if someone chooses to get a
relevant certificate, that can sometimes be a really useful way to learn
something new.   I just wouldn't set a precedent by making certifications
required.  I worry libraries have been adopting models from the business
world that don't translate well to institutions whose goal is to educate or
provide some kind of valuable service to the public (and certifications
just seem like the kind of silly thing the business world is into... or
administrators who went to one workshop and now think they know everything
about IT in libraries).  I do keep an eye on the systems/IT job market to
help gauge my worth, and I'm not sure I've ever encountered a
certification requirement amongst those jobs.  I think if your new hire
sees value in getting a particular certificate and can provide good
examples as to why it's important, they should be encouraged to pursue it.
I feel as though I learned much more through experience, getting involved
in interesting projects, research, hair pulling (my own of course), and
watching YouTube videos than I have from the classes I took to get a
computer science degree.

With that said, I'll step off my soapbox and ask what academic
accreditation requirement are you trying to meet, and who told this person
he had to obtain certifications to meet requirements for that position?
I'd ask for some clarification from whoever that person is.  Perhaps it's
tied to HIPAA's IT security requirements?  If you're tied to healthcare in
some way there may be certifications your IT person is required to get.  If
that's the case you might want to start here:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/index.html.  But if
you're not dealing with any confidential health records, I don't think that
certification would be necessary (I don't actually know that for sure
because I've never worked in the healthcare system, I'm just aware that IT
in a healthcare environment is not as straightforward as most other places,
particularly with security).

On Tue, Aug 16, 2022 at 2:14 PM Hammer, Erich F <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Congrats on wresting back some ability to move forward.
>
> As far as certification, my humble opinion after 25+ years in academic
> (and now Library) IT work, is that certifications are only for hiring
> managers who want something to check off on an applicant or pointy-haired
> bosses who don't actually understand IT.  I got one certification (A+) in
> my early days, and it was all-but useless.  I've taken certification
> courses over the years too, and the simulated environments never match the
> real-world, and the required pace of the course doesn't allow for many
> questions on how to apply the material to an existing system.  Over the
> years, the folks who have had certifications are no better (and often
> worse) than those who don't.
>
> That is not to say that continuous learning is not central to being
> successful in IT!  Definitely look for ways to broaden their perspective
> and deepen their understanding and -- vitally -- time and projects to
> explore and learn.  IT is much more of a trade than an academic pursuit,
> and it takes "hands on" experience to really grasp how things work and can
> be leveraged together to build quality and efficient tools.
>
> I would be suspicious that an IT worker looking to gain lots of
> certifications, is looking to change jobs for something that pays better
> because the certifications get them in the door.
>
> I know it's not what you were looking for, sorry.
>
> Erich
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 15:48, Bing Tina eloquently inscribed:
>
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > I am throwing out this question out there to see what comes back.  We
> > recently hired our own IT person for the library, only.  We are a part
> of a
> > healthcare system with a small academic college. Anything relating to the
> > library was delegated not just to the back burner but rather the storage
> shed
> > where the only key to it is in the hands of the janitor that retired 9
> years ago.
> > Now we have an IT guy that is quickly being indoctrinated into the finer
> > aspects of electronic resources, authentication (Open Athens), Discovery
> > Services, link resolvers, Excel, Powershell, VBA, Python etc.
> >
> > He was asked to obtain certifications to help meet requirements for his
> > position/title and for academic accreditation needs.  What
> > certification(s), if any, do you require of your IT workers?  Since this
> > is a new position, we did not require any certs to qualify for the job.
> > Any insight would be appreciated.
> >
> > Tina
> >
> > ​Kristina Bing, MLIS
> > Librarian, Sentara Healthcare Library
> > 757.388.3693
> >
> > [cid:03d76aaf-f360-46cf-b25a-
> > 27d9866f1ec8]<https://www.skor.stacksdiscovery.com/quick-links-0> The
> > Journal of Clinical Oncology
> > (JCO)<https://www.skor.stacksdiscovery.com/quick-links-0> Digital
> > Library is dedicated to producing and delivering the highest-quality
> > resources in education, policy, clinical research and clinical practice
> > in order to improve the health of patients with cancer, available at
> > Sentara Healthcare
> > Library<https://www.skor.stacksdiscovery.com/quick-links-0>.
> >
> > Disclaimer:
> >
> > This electronic message and its contents and attachments contain
> > information from Sentara Healthcare and is confidential or otherwise
> > protected from disclosure. The information is intended to be for the
> > addressee only.
> >
> > If you are not the addressee, any disclosure, copy, distribution or use
> of the
> > contents of this message is prohibited. If you have received this
> electronic
> > message in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original
> > message and all copies.
>
>
>

-- 
Jeremiah Kellogg
Systems Librarian
EOU Library
Eastern Oregon University
[log in to unmask]
(541) 962-3017