It really comes down to the candidate.

Formal qualifications are one aspect, but knowledge and experience of the
technology stack in use are important. I suspect the key criteria are more
around future plans for the library's core technology and ensuring you have
the skills you will need in the future. But someone with experience and
knowledge of MARC and linked data is going to be able to get more out of
your current system. The reality is you are unlikely to find a candidate
who is across everything, what's more important is flexibility,
adaptability, and the skills and drive to master their gaps.

On Fri, 17 Feb 2023 at 10:24, Martin, Will <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> All,
>
> We're considering taking our Systems Librarian position and removing the
> requirement for a library degree, making it a technician position instead.
> The job's primary focus is in working with Alma configuration and
> troubleshooting the perennial off-campus access issues.  The hope is that
> removing the library degree requirement will make recruiting easier. In
> past we've had difficulty getting candidates who had both the library
> degree and the requisite technical proficiency.
>
> I am curious to hear from other universities: do you require your systems
> person to hold a library degree?  Why or why not?  If you do require one,
> do you find you have to do extensive technical training with new hires?  If
> you don't, do you wind up having to train people on library-related stuff?
> Either way, how has your approach worked out?
>
> Will Martin
>
> Head of Digital Initiatives, Systems and Services
> Chester Fritz Library
> University of North Dakota
> he/his/him
>
> 701.777.4638
>


-- 
Andrew Cunningham
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