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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 >>