Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
/6/11 4:06 PM, Ceci Land cl...@library.msstate.edu wrote: I like this. Maybe it's because it's what I was already thinking about doing. I have 3 project ideas twirling around in my head at the moment. I can't do them at work, but perhaps the systems department could give me a dataset to play around with in my spare time. I already have a good dataset for one of the projects that I harvested via OAI-PMH. Do these spare-time projects get any respect from the real world when it comes time to apply for a job? particularly if you focus on really making it as polished as possible (within the limitations of a non-work environment)? I remember building my own darkroom as a teenager and doing BW and color slide and print processing. (yes, I still love the smell of D76 and stop bath. I can bring up the smell purely from memory :) ). I did manage to work for a while in photography because of my original personal investment of time and energy into it as a hobby. I'm just concerned that the things may not work that way any more. Life was not only slower paced back then, but having an exact skill match wasn't required to get a foot in the door. Plus, I'm no Mozart so it's not likely that I'll come up with something uber creative or so nifty that it's used by a community at large. But I do good technical work. I tinker...I make things go. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to start playing with the projects I have in mind. One is already done as a JSP, but I think I'll convert it to something else and clean up the compromises I had to make to get it done in a limited time. Ceci
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
This isn't the list for psychic PHP ninjas and crocodile wranglers? Dang. My bad. ;-) Ceci Ray Denenberg, Library of Congress 05/09/11 4:11 PM Along the lines of oh, you meant THIS profession Rotational vs. linear mechanics. -Original Message- From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Nate Vack Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 4:47 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it? On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 2:07 PM, Ceci Land wrote: How would you choose to develop your skills from baby level to something useful to the profession? I'd pretty much follow the plot of Batman Begins as closely as possible. Wait, useful to *this* profession? -n
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Thanks Mike. That's exactly the straight up kind of answer I'm looking for. I presently work in cataloging so I find myself really interested in what I'd call the intersection of cataloging and systems work. But at my present library, that intersection doesn't exist, the two worlds are kept quite separate. I have realized that getting the degree will not likely prepare me to do the kind of work I want to do. Nor will my present job. I'm actually considering (fearfully mind you) finding some internships while I'm in school that challenge me more. I'd have to give up health insurance and take on more debt to do so though...ergo the fear. Thanks for your reply. Ceci On 5/6/2011 at 2:11 PM, in message banlktims1g61v_vvvxswmvdtsu7uvld...@mail.gmail.com, Michael J. Giarlo leftw...@alumni.rutgers.edu wrote: Hi Ceci, I hope you don't interpret this as a glib throwaway, but the best answer I've seen so far was blogged by Dan Chudnov a while back. Here it is: http://onebiglibrary.net/story/advice-to-a-library-school-student Worth a read, IMO! Best of luck to you, -Mike On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 15:07, Ceci Land cl...@library.msstate.edu wrote: Hello everyone. The recent thread asking people what they would like to learn if they had the time brought another question to my mind. If you were looking to get into this side of the profession, what would you recommend focusing on? IOW, suppose you were a current MLIS graduate student (that's me) who has a techy sort of inclination. But also assume that your current job as paraprofessional staff involves minimal computer skills, no programming or scripting and this situation will not ever change. Imagine that you've taken every programming and database class you can fit into your schedule, but you realize that course work will only take you slightly beyond a beginner level even if you make A's. (in an IS based program, not CS. I would have preferred the CS route, but work could not accommodate the class/lab time during the days) How would you choose to develop your skills from baby level to something useful to the profession? Will developing projects on your personal time and hosting them yourself be enough to get noticed when they day comes that you graduate with your shiny new diploma? What core skills would you choose to focus on? Would you give up a secure job with benefits to find an internship that could really challenge your programming, web development etc. skills? I see many people on this list with very strong skills, but in the job world, I don't see many 2nd string/entry level jobs that would allow someone to hone their skills to the level I often see here. I've been thinking that I should focus on further developing my abilities in: HTML/CSS of course, XML, XSLT, PHP, and MySQL (because they're all readily available for someone to play with despite not being employed in a systems department). It seems that anything I can learn about metadata transformations/crosswalks and RDF would be useful too. I also find some classification theories very compelling (ok, I admit that colon classification really got my attention in my first MLIS class) and found myself drawn to potentially being interested in taxonomies and controlled vocabulary. I know nothing about Drupal, but I wonder if I should include in my smorgasbord. How much is too much and where you y'all recommend I put my energy? Any advice is greatly appreciated. The more specific the better. :) Thx!
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
I like this. Maybe it's because it's what I was already thinking about doing. I have 3 project ideas twirling around in my head at the moment. I can't do them at work, but perhaps the systems department could give me a dataset to play around with in my spare time. I already have a good dataset for one of the projects that I harvested via OAI-PMH. Do these spare-time projects get any respect from the real world when it comes time to apply for a job? particularly if you focus on really making it as polished as possible (within the limitations of a non-work environment)? I remember building my own darkroom as a teenager and doing BW and color slide and print processing. (yes, I still love the smell of D76 and stop bath. I can bring up the smell purely from memory :) ). I did manage to work for a while in photography because of my original personal investment of time and energy into it as a hobby. I'm just concerned that the things may not work that way any more. Life was not only slower paced back then, but having an exact skill match wasn't required to get a foot in the door. Plus, I'm no Mozart so it's not likely that I'll come up with something uber creative or so nifty that it's used by a community at large. But I do good technical work. I tinker...I make things go. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to start playing with the projects I have in mind. One is already done as a JSP, but I think I'll convert it to something else and clean up the compromises I had to make to get it done in a limited time. Ceci On 5/6/2011 at 2:31 PM, in message BANLkTi=jdvtmgs42dlmhe5+fqnn55kv...@mail.gmail.com, Devon dec...@gmail.com wrote: My answer to this question changes every time it gets asked. These days, my thinking is that focusing on skills/tools is backwards. Instead, focus on a problems and solutions. Pick something you want to do, then do it. Figure it all out on the way. If you don't know where to start, build and deploy a simple website. Try a solution. If it doesn't work, try a different solution. Keep trying. Don't be afraid to toss all your work away and start over. Make the website more complex as you go. Add a database. Switch the whole thing to jQuery. Then switch to something else. Just keep going. /dev -- Devon Smith Consulting Software Engineer OCLC Research http://www.oclc.org/research/people/smith.htm On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 3:07 PM, Ceci Land cl...@library.msstate.edu wrote: Hello everyone. The recent thread asking people what they would like to learn if they had the time brought another question to my mind. If you were looking to get into this side of the profession, what would you recommend focusing on? IOW, suppose you were a current MLIS graduate student (that's me) who has a techy sort of inclination. But also assume that your current job as paraprofessional staff involves minimal computer skills, no programming or scripting and this situation will not ever change. Imagine that you've taken every programming and database class you can fit into your schedule, but you realize that course work will only take you slightly beyond a beginner level even if you make A's. (in an IS based program, not CS. I would have preferred the CS route, but work could not accommodate the class/lab time during the days) How would you choose to develop your skills from baby level to something useful to the profession? Will developing projects on your personal time and hosting them yourself be enough to get noticed when they day comes that you graduate with your shiny new diploma? What core skills would you choose to focus on? Would you give up a secure job with benefits to find an internship that could really challenge your programming, web development etc. skills? I see many people on this list with very strong skills, but in the job world, I don't see many 2nd string/entry level jobs that would allow someone to hone their skills to the level I often see here. I've been thinking that I should focus on further developing my abilities in: HTML/CSS of course, XML, XSLT, PHP, and MySQL (because they're all readily available for someone to play with despite not being employed in a systems department). It seems that anything I can learn about metadata transformations/crosswalks and RDF would be useful too. I also find some classification theories very compelling (ok, I admit that colon classification really got my attention in my first MLIS class) and found myself drawn to potentially being interested in taxonomies and controlled vocabulary. I know nothing about Drupal, but I wonder if I should include in my smorgasbord. How much is too much and where you y'all recommend I put my energy? Any advice is greatly appreciated. The more specific the better. :) Thx! -- Sent from my GMail account.
