Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Mark V. Sullivan 
> And for all those reasons and more, don't put IT in a back room and leave it
> there, unconnected to the rest of the library and institution.  How library IT
> works with and is integrated into the rest of the library varies from place to
> place, but if the developers and sys admins don't regularly see and work with
> and around students and faculty, they'll be badly disconnected and could 
> develop
> a bunker mentality.

> Aside from being important, in a university, being around the students and
> faculty is really interesting, and it's fun.  It's like being in a little city
>where everyone's studying and thinking, and every year a quarter of the
>population moves out and a new quarter moves in.

>Bill

This.. absolutely this +100.

Mark (formerly of a University settings)

Mark V. Sullivan
Sobek Digital Hosting and Consulting, LLC
mark.v.sulli...@sobekdigital.com
https://sobekdigital.com



From: Code for Libraries  on behalf of William Denton 

Sent: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 11:12 AM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

On 2 March 2016, Jason Casden wrote:

> The advantages that we do have over many of these organizations include the
> opportunity to work directly with the users of your products, the ability to
> be more involved in broader systems analysis work, and the pursuit of a
> mission anchored in education and research.

And for all those reasons and more, don't put IT in a back room and leave it
there, unconnected to the rest of the library and institution.  How library IT
works with and is integrated into the rest of the library varies from place to
place, but if the developers and sys admins don't regularly see and work with
and around students and faculty, they'll be badly disconnected and could develop
a bunker mentality.

Aside from being important, in a university, being around the students and
faculty is really interesting, and it's fun.  It's like being in a little city
where everyone's studying and thinking, and every year a quarter of the
population moves out and a new quarter moves in.

Bill
--
William Denton ↔  Toronto, Canada ↔  https://www.miskatonic.org/

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Alex Gil 
Sign me up for this sentiment too. Even architecturally, we need more
windows.

On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 11:43 AM, Mark V. Sullivan <
mark.v.sulli...@sobekdigital.com> wrote:

> > And for all those reasons and more, don't put IT in a back room and
> leave it
> > there, unconnected to the rest of the library and institution.  How
> library IT
> > works with and is integrated into the rest of the library varies from
> place to
> > place, but if the developers and sys admins don't regularly see and work
> with
> > and around students and faculty, they'll be badly disconnected and could
> develop
> > a bunker mentality.
>
> > Aside from being important, in a university, being around the students
> and
> > faculty is really interesting, and it's fun.  It's like being in a
> little city
> >where everyone's studying and thinking, and every year a quarter of the
> >population moves out and a new quarter moves in.
>
> >Bill
>
> This.. absolutely this +100.
>
> Mark (formerly of a University settings)
>
> Mark V. Sullivan
> Sobek Digital Hosting and Consulting, LLC
> mark.v.sulli...@sobekdigital.com
> https://sobekdigital.com
>
>
> ____
> From: Code for Libraries  on behalf of William
> Denton 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 11:12 AM
> To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry
>
> On 2 March 2016, Jason Casden wrote:
>
> > The advantages that we do have over many of these organizations include
> the
> > opportunity to work directly with the users of your products, the
> ability to
> > be more involved in broader systems analysis work, and the pursuit of a
> > mission anchored in education and research.
>
> And for all those reasons and more, don't put IT in a back room and leave
> it
> there, unconnected to the rest of the library and institution.  How
> library IT
> works with and is integrated into the rest of the library varies from
> place to
> place, but if the developers and sys admins don't regularly see and work
> with
> and around students and faculty, they'll be badly disconnected and could
> develop
> a bunker mentality.
>
> Aside from being important, in a university, being around the students and
> faculty is really interesting, and it's fun.  It's like being in a little
> city
> where everyone's studying and thinking, and every year a quarter of the
> population moves out and a new quarter moves in.
>
> Bill
> --
> William Denton ↔  Toronto, Canada ↔  https://www.miskatonic.org/
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread William Denton 

On 2 March 2016, Jason Casden wrote:

The advantages that we do have over many of these organizations include the 
opportunity to work directly with the users of your products, the ability to 
be more involved in broader systems analysis work, and the pursuit of a 
mission anchored in education and research.


And for all those reasons and more, don't put IT in a back room and leave it 
there, unconnected to the rest of the library and institution.  How library IT 
works with and is integrated into the rest of the library varies from place to 
place, but if the developers and sys admins don't regularly see and work with 
and around students and faculty, they'll be badly disconnected and could develop 
a bunker mentality.


Aside from being important, in a university, being around the students and 
faculty is really interesting, and it's fun.  It's like being in a little city 
where everyone's studying and thinking, and every year a quarter of the 
population moves out and a new quarter moves in.


Bill
--
William Denton ↔  Toronto, Canada ↔  https://www.miskatonic.org/

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Gum, Josh 
+1 to TH5!

I’m also very new to the environment.. And I’m really liking what I see. 
Fifteen years of multi-billion dollar tech industry work makes what I’m seeing 
around library tech and the processes/services involved seem like a piece of 
cake. OTOH, I’m coming from a corporation which was under a huge amount of 
change (painful at times) for almost the entire 15 years I was there… I’m 
certain that someday the twitches that happen when I hear the word “reinvent” 
will stop. :)



Seriously though, the technology in the library is fascinating to me.. I 
thought we just had banks of card catalogs and microfiche! 

#seeyouinphilly
Josh



On 3/2/16, 6:30 AM, "Code for Libraries on behalf of Tom Hutchinson" 
 wrote:

>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  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 <
>> deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz> 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
>>>

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Jason Casden 
I think that the importance of sharing your passion for library service
should not be overlooked. While universities can be rather bureaucratic,
this may also be true of many of the commercial and governmental
organizations from which these developers are being hired. The advantages
that we do have over many of these organizations include the opportunity to
work directly with the users of your products, the ability to be more
involved in broader systems analysis work, and the pursuit of a mission
anchored in education and research.

Echoing Leah's comments, I think there is great potential to foster a more
rewarding professional experience for developers new to libraries, and
facilitating connections with library users may be a good place to start.

Jason

On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 9:58 AM, Leah Root  wrote:

> On Mar 2, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Tom Hutchinson 
> wrote:
>
> > ...To be honest I feel like I still don’t even really know what libraries
> / librarians are yet.
>
>
> > ..  Tom, when you find out, please tell the rest of us.  ;-)  —Eric Lease
> Morgan
>
>
>  this ++
>
> We actually speak the same language - the dialect is a little different.
> Slightly less verbose, but we get it :)
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 9:33 AM, Eric Lease Morgan  wrote:
>
> > On Mar 2, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Tom Hutchinson 
> > wrote:
> >
> > > ...To be honest I feel like I still don’t even really know what
> > libraries / librarians are yet.
> >
> >
> >   Tom, when you find out, please tell the rest of us.  ;-)  —Eric Lease
> > Morgan
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Leah M Root
> Library Publishing/Web Services Developer
> Milne Library, SUNY Geneseo 
> 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454
> 585-245-6061 | cell 585-802-4676
> ro...@geneseo.edu
> @RootLeah 
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Leah Root 
On Mar 2, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Tom Hutchinson  wrote:

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


> ..  Tom, when you find out, please tell the rest of us.  ;-)  —Eric Lease
Morgan


 this ++

We actually speak the same language - the dialect is a little different.
Slightly less verbose, but we get it :)



On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 9:33 AM, Eric Lease Morgan  wrote:

> On Mar 2, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Tom Hutchinson 
> wrote:
>
> > ...To be honest I feel like I still don’t even really know what
> libraries / librarians are yet.
>
>
>   Tom, when you find out, please tell the rest of us.  ;-)  —Eric Lease
> Morgan
>



-- 
Leah M Root
Library Publishing/Web Services Developer
Milne Library, SUNY Geneseo 
1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454
585-245-6061 | cell 585-802-4676
ro...@geneseo.edu
@RootLeah

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Eric Lease Morgan 
On Mar 2, 2016, at 9:48 AM, LeVan,Ralph  wrote:

> …I've written so much bloat that didn't get used because a librarian was sure 
> the system would fail without it….

I’m ROTFL because just a few minutes ago, while composing an informal essay on 
the history of bibliographic description, I wrote the following sentence:

  The result is library jargon solidified in an obscure
  data structure. Moreover, in an attempt to make the
  surrogates of library collections more meaningful, the
  information of bibliographic description bloats to fill
   ^^
  much more than the traditional three to five catalog
  cards of the past.

levan++

—
ELM

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread LeVan,Ralph 
On the culture side: librarians insisting that they know what their patrons 
want.  I've written so much bloat that didn't get used because a librarian was 
sure the system would fail without it.

Ralph

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of 
Fitchett, Deborah
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2016 9:39 PM
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: onboarding developers coming from industry

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

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Jenn 
Riley
Sent: Saturday, 27 February 2016 9:42 a.m.
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

Dear Code4Libbers,

We have a new developer starting soon that’s coming from industry with no 
experience in libraries. We're interested in hearing about any strategies or 
training methods you’ve found successful in introducing developers from other 
areas to the quirkiness of library tech – things like MARC, proxy servers, 
Z39.50, catalogue knowledgebases, e-resources access, etc. Do you have any 
successes or advice to share?

For those of you in academic libraries, we also are interested in strategies 
for getting someone new oriented to the academic environment.

Thanks so much!

Jenn

---
Jenn Riley
Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques

McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill
3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | 
Montréal (QC) Canada  H3A 0C9

(514) 398-3642
jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca


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Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Eric Lease Morgan 
On Mar 2, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Tom Hutchinson  wrote:

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


  Tom, when you find out, please tell the rest of us.  ;-)  —Eric Lease Morgan

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Bethany Seeger 
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 there¹s 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"
 wrote:

>On Mar 1, 2016, at 9:39 PM, Fitchett, Deborah
>mailto:deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz>>
>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

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Tom Hutchinson 
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  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 <
> deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz> 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
>>

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Brian Kennison 
On Mar 1, 2016, at 9:39 PM, Fitchett, Deborah 
mailto:deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz>> 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

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Leah Root 
I am an IT professional who transferred from a 20 year corporate background
to the Academic Library Universe. I agree with nearly everything that
Deborah and Keith wrote.

My advice to those working with  a 'Library IT newbie person' is this:
Show the Library IT person  how the end user works with your software,
platforms, servers, databases, and other electronic resources.  Let the
Library IT person meet with individual librarians, staff, student workers,
and  faculty as much as possible.That way the Library IT person can
understand the practical applications and workflow of all the systems in
the library, and understand the needs and frustrations of the end users.
We cannot code in a vacuum.

Disclaimer of sorts: I am very grateful to be in an Academic Library
environment.  I will never look back.  When I see that anything I have
programmed or developed: tracks and proves benefits of library resource
usage; allows students to download textbooks freely; allows authors and
professors to publish their work via Creative Commons; allows better access
to knowledge in general - - that outweighs any frustration.



On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 5:52 AM, Keith Gilbertson 
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 <
> deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz> 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
> >
>



-- 
Leah M Root
Library Publishing/Web Services Developer
Milne Library, SUNY Geneseo 
1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454
585-245-6061 | cell 585-802-4676
ro...@geneseo.edu
@RootLeah

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-02 Thread Keith Gilbertson 
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 <
deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz> 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
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-01 Thread Haitz, Lisa (haitzlm) 
I would agree. They will pick up the tech... why the tech, and the need for the 
workarounds, is another story.


On March 1, 2016, at 9:39 PM, "Fitchett, Deborah" 
 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

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Jenn 
Riley
Sent: Saturday, 27 February 2016 9:42 a.m.
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

Dear Code4Libbers,

We have a new developer starting soon that’s coming from industry with no 
experience in libraries. We're interested in hearing about any strategies or 
training methods you’ve found successful in introducing developers from other 
areas to the quirkiness of library tech – things like MARC, proxy servers, 
Z39.50, catalogue knowledgebases, e-resources access, etc. Do you have any 
successes or advice to share?

For those of you in academic libraries, we also are interested in strategies 
for getting someone new oriented to the academic environment.

Thanks so much!

Jenn

---
Jenn Riley
Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques

McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill
3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | 
Montréal (QC) Canada  H3A 0C9

(514) 398-3642
jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca


P Please consider the environment before you print this email.
"The contents of this e-mail (including any attachments) may be confidential 
and/or subject to copyright. Any unauthorised use, distribution, or copying of 
the contents is expressly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in 
error, please advise the sender by return e-mail or telephone and then delete 
this e-mail together with all attachments from your system."

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-03-01 Thread Fitchett, Deborah 
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

-Original Message-
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Jenn 
Riley
Sent: Saturday, 27 February 2016 9:42 a.m.
To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

Dear Code4Libbers,

We have a new developer starting soon that’s coming from industry with no 
experience in libraries. We're interested in hearing about any strategies or 
training methods you’ve found successful in introducing developers from other 
areas to the quirkiness of library tech – things like MARC, proxy servers, 
Z39.50, catalogue knowledgebases, e-resources access, etc. Do you have any 
successes or advice to share?

For those of you in academic libraries, we also are interested in strategies 
for getting someone new oriented to the academic environment.

Thanks so much!

Jenn

---
Jenn Riley
Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques

McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill
3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | 
Montréal (QC) Canada  H3A 0C9

(514) 398-3642
jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca


P Please consider the environment before you print this email.
"The contents of this e-mail (including any attachments) may be confidential 
and/or subject to copyright. Any unauthorised use, distribution, or copying of 
the contents is expressly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in 
error, please advise the sender by return e-mail or telephone and then delete 
this e-mail together with all attachments from your system."

Re: [CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-02-27 Thread Harnum, Alan 
Disclaimer that my thoughts are largely based on working with outside 
consultants at FPOW (public library system)...

- specific points of confusion sometimes arose around library-specific 
terminology that overlaps with technical terminology, especially if the 
developer is going to be working directly with library staff outside the 
technical setting. The two big ones that come immediately to mind for me are 
“proxy server” and “database”, which can have very different meanings as often 
used by librarians vs. what they mean to someone who’s familiar with them from 
other technical contexts. Be careful to make this distinction clear when 
discussing these things.

- how to best transfer specific knowledge of library technology and how to work 
with it is going to depend a lot on how experienced the developer is and in 
what areas. A strong developer is hopefully going to be familiar with learning 
new standards, technologies and domain knowledge around a workplace as 
necessary to do their work, as this is a common thing developers have to do in 
other contexts.

- I would recommend not overwhelming them from the start with the sense that 
they need to learn all this library-specific technology to perform - rather, 
think about what they’re actually going to be working on and need to know for 
that. I think even tech people who’ve been working in libraries a long time 
aren’t familiar with everything - rather, they’ve picked up what they need to 
do to get work done over time.

- if you can, put them in an onboarding / mentorship relationship with a more 
experienced developer who they can ask questions of, pair program with, etc. In 
my experience this is often the most effective way of onboarding a new 
developer to a complex environment.

ALAN HARNUM
SENIOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPER
INCLUSIVE DESIGN RESEARCH CENTRE, OCAD UNIVERSITY

E ahar...@ocadu.ca

On Feb 26, 2016, at 3:42 PM, Jenn Riley 
mailto:jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca>> wrote:

Dear Code4Libbers,

We have a new developer starting soon that’s coming from industry with no 
experience in libraries. We're interested in hearing about any strategies or 
training methods you’ve found successful in introducing developers from other 
areas to the quirkiness of library tech – things like MARC, proxy servers, 
Z39.50, catalogue knowledgebases, e-resources access, etc. Do you have any 
successes or advice to share?

For those of you in academic libraries, we also are interested in strategies 
for getting someone new oriented to the academic environment.

Thanks so much!

Jenn

---
Jenn Riley
Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques

McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill
3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | Montréal (QC) Canada  H3A 0C9

(514) 398-3642
jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca

[CODE4LIB] onboarding developers coming from industry

2016-02-26 Thread Jenn Riley 
Dear Code4Libbers,

We have a new developer starting soon that’s coming from industry with no 
experience in libraries. We're interested in hearing about any strategies or 
training methods you’ve found successful in introducing developers from other 
areas to the quirkiness of library tech – things like MARC, proxy servers, 
Z39.50, catalogue knowledgebases, e-resources access, etc. Do you have any 
successes or advice to share?

For those of you in academic libraries, we also are interested in strategies 
for getting someone new oriented to the academic environment.

Thanks so much!

Jenn

---
Jenn Riley
Associate Dean, Digital Initiatives | Vice Doyenne, Initiatives numériques

McGill University Library | Bibliothèque Université McGill
3459 McTavish Street | 3459, rue McTavish
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0C9 | Montréal (QC) Canada  H3A 0C9

(514) 398-3642
jenn.ri...@mcgill.ca