Digitalization: CONTENTdm

I am finding working at the State Library to be a great decision.  I am remaining in a "flow" without imposing any preconceptions or expectations for my time.  I am happy coming onto the second floor twice a week doing whatever.  I think I am in favor of this because it is a microcosm of what going into where I want to go with this education: an environment that will throw me alien things to figure out, manipulate, and turn back to my employer, patron or client (depending on my level of independence) something of value.  I am going to have to learn CONTENTdm from OCLC faster than my coursework would permit me, which I welcome.  The practical, hands-on tackling of these issues is a more valuable experience to me than reading than intellectually touching on it but never getting down and doing it.  I also find my level of enthusiasm is high, because for one it is fun but another is that I want to raise my competencies and cooperation to the standards around me. 

Last week proved interesting in @ the State Library:

I gained insight into administrative challenges of how to bring diverse institutions into a shared line of operation.  SC Lends, a confederation of different libraries across the state using Evergreen systems, is a challenge in coordination as their divergent operations and levels of expertise interfere.  For instance, Catherine Morgan pointed out an administrator who, ignorant of basic database structures, imposed a bit of chaos on the shared systems which necessitated correction.  Technology plans/proposals required of many institutions receiving state funding show wild differences in how to match reporting on required key points with their presentation skills/sophistication.  Some flatly fail, but the staffing and training of some librarians in the rural libraries who operate on hair-thin budgets makes any attempt heroic, in a way.

  

Systems Librarian: Day One

Hello, and welcome to my blog where I will chronicle my experiences with the South Carolina State Library.  For this internship I was assigned to read a book entitled "Systems Librarian" by Thomas C. Wilson.  Although the book was written more than a decade ago the points presented are still valid.  How do we as professional librarians weight the organizational mores and the non-degreed technicians vantage points against our own expertise?  For example, in the State Library's goal of digitalizing a portion of its holdings yet not all the librarian staff are aware of metadata standards applicable to the document itself or interoperability of these files to the database(s).  As a special librarian or information worker of some definition, a systems librarian is a kissing cousin of sorts: they act, as one of a number of interpretations of the role, as liaisons between computer workers and technical staff... a generalist in many ways which must gain an appreciation for both technology and psychology, a 'wearer of multiple hats.' 

A keen difference between a systems librarian and a special solo librarian is a system librarian is no soloist, and between training staff and projects that require people to sign off on the completion which might not share my goals.  This might be a change from my comfort zone.  In the past I felt I could find a creative solution and complete it myself with select consultation and when the project is near finished, simplify to make it communicable.  Making my ideas communicable beforehand is the challenge.  

I am happy learning how precise technologies function, like how the staff will scan the documents and ascribe standards.  I am also exited for this is my first assistantship.