Honestly, this is one of the reasons I decided last year to apply to online MLS programs despite having a PhD in computer science. While I love doing library technology work, I didn't want to be stuck doing just development or have to go the ITS manager route. Some positions do list "or equivalent" but it's always a crapshoot.
Of course, I somehow managed to find this sweet librarian gig involving my accessibility tech skills without the MLS. I'm still going to do it, though, since I now work for the school whose online MLS program I signed up for. Tuition remission benefits rock! Katherine Deibel | PhD Inclusion & Accessibility Librarian Syracuse University Libraries T 315.443.7178 kndei...@syr.edu 222 Waverly Ave., Syracuse, NY 13244 Syracuse University -----Original Message----- From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTS.CLIR.ORG] On Behalf Of Haitz, Lisa (haitzlm) Sent: Thursday, December 7, 2017 2:33 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTS.CLIR.ORG Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Systems Librarian / software developer Interesting… I too have worked on web dev for years. Have been thinking of doing an MS; our university does not have an MLS. But to move into faculty here, I would need the MLS, and pay somewhere else, the MS doesn’t do me any good here. On 12/7/17, 2:27 PM, "Code for Libraries on behalf of Jason Bengtson" <CODE4LIB@LISTS.CLIR.ORG on behalf of j.bengtson...@gmail.com> wrote: If you want to go that route, I'd be prepared to worry less about education and more about experience. Using myself as an example, I have no CS degree. In fact, two of my degrees are in English. But I've been doing complex, full stack web development for years. I'm glad you're broaching this . . . IMHO, many libraries are still doing a very poor job of adapting to a modern footing. Where I'm at now, because I manage IT, I'm basically locked out of faculty, despite my record of scholarship. Best regards, *Jason Bengtson* *http://www.jasonbengtson.com/ <http://www.jasonbengtson.com/>* On Thu, Dec 7, 2017 at 6:10 AM, Samson, Bob <sam...@uta.edu> wrote: > I have a question regarding staff development and I am hoping someone can > provide some advice. I have two vacant librarian positions in my Library > Systems department. I need to fill those vacancies with software/systems > developers in order to move our initiatives forward. We have encountered > reluctance on the part of our human resources to repurpose those librarian > positions into developer positions. > > Has anyone had success in posting Systems Librarian positions using > education and experience requirements consistent with software developers? > We have sufficient flexibility in hiring librarians, but the skill sets > differ significantly between librarians and developers. Ideally, we would > want someone with backgrounds in computer science rather than library > science, for example. I'm curious to know if anyone has tried this and > been successful. > > Bob Samson > Head of Library Systems & Technology > University of Texas at Arlington >