Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
That may apply to this profession, too. I've often been convinced that someone in the c4l community *was* Batman. On 5/6/2011 4:47 PM, Nate Vack wrote: 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 -- Corey A Harper Metadata Services Librarian New York University Libraries 20 Cooper Square, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-7112 212.998.2479 corey.har...@nyu.edu
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Ceci- I'll echo what others have said: spare time projects definitely count for me when I'm looking at resumes, and they show initiative and genuine interest. The one other thing I'd add is to encourage you to find underserved users, either at work or in your personal life. When I was in your position, my first baby programming projects were doing things like making an Excel spreadsheet to automate statistics that a coworker was doing by hand, writing a script for my wife to find references in her papers that needed to be cited in the references section, etc. Programming for yourself is fun, and can very rewarding. It's a great way to learn new tech when it's not needed at work. But having actual users is a really different mode of working: you have to figure out what the problem is (often the hardest part of a project) and if your solution actually solves the problem or not. -Esme -- Esme Cowles "In the old days, an operating system was designed to optimize the utilization of the computer's resources. In the future, its main goal will be to optimize the user's time." -- Jakob Nielsen On May 6, 2011, at 4:06 PM, Ceci Land 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 > B&W 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 , Devon 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 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 c
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?
Oh, and though this might be orthogonal, the most important part: attend conferences like Code4Lib and make connections. I've met a few of my employers throughout the years this way. Buying a round of pints on occasion pays off. -Mike
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 1:17 PM, Gabriel Farrell wrote: > Spare-time projects definitely get respect. They can make a monstrous difference. Most of the time, what you can convince people you know is far more important than what your pedigree says. Employers want to know what motivates you and what you do when no one is watching. If they learn you work on the problems they care about in your spare time, they know it bodes well for them if they hire you... kyle
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Hi Ceci, > I have 3 project ideas twirling around in my head at the moment... > Do these spare-time projects get any respect from the "real world" > when it comes time to apply for a job? Yes they do -- at least they do at the type of place you would probably want to work. Over the years, I've served on a lot of search committees for library techie positions, and that's something I ask about for candidates that don't already have a lot of work skills/projects documented on their resume. And even if they didn't get respect, it still pays off in other ways: that type of project forces you to solve the types of problems that always crop up outside a classroom environment... and which are the types of problems you will encounter in a real-work environment. And just as importantly, projects like that increase your *confidence* in yourself. That confidence comes across in interview situations. Heck, I *still* work on "spare-time projects" as I have the time. They give me a chance to learn new skills that, more often than not, I then end up utilizing in my day job. Win for me, win for my employer. -- Michael # Michael Doran, Systems Librarian # University of Texas at Arlington # 817-272-5326 office # 817-688-1926 mobile # do...@uta.edu # http://rocky.uta.edu/doran/
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Agreed: "Patience, Elbow Grease, Trial and Error" plus stick-to-it-itivenes (to use a word from Seymour Skinner). Mark - Original Message - > Ceci, > > I'd honestly recommend just continuing to play, experiment and try > things. You don't mention programming/scripting in your initial post, > but I can promise you that it's at the core of the cat/sys > intersection > you speak of. > > There's a wealth of information out there on trying to start learning > this kind of thing, and I really would recommend just jumping right in > and trying. Here's where I'd start if I was coming from a cataloging > background: > > * Find a large file of MARC data (you can find free samples and files > from a number of publishers, or experiment downloading 1 by 1 over > z39.50 or OAI. > * If your not using MarcEdit already, install it and have a look at > your > data. > * If you know MARC well, and want to learn XML, download yaz, and use > yaz-marcdump to convert your marc file to MARC-XML and have a look at > that. (This is a single line typed at command prompt). > * Install a scripting environment of your choosing (I'd probably > recommend one of: ruby, perl, php or python), and the MARC > library/module/gem for it. Go here for more information on MARC > libraries, MarcEdit and sample MARC Files: > http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/Working_with_MaRC > * Google "Hello World" [your chosen language], and follow the > instructions in the first couple hits you find. > * Start playing. In ruby, for example, a simple "hello-MARC-world" > like > program that loops through a set of records and prints the title of > each > one is 6-8 lines, from here, think about things that you might want to > dig through records for. Think about questions you might ask a file, > such as if the titles not the main entry, print me the main entry, and > try to figure out how they might work. As you find yourself having > specific questions, you'll find answers to a lot of them online, in > sample code, in Q&A forums like Stack Overflow, and on myriad blogs > and > articles. > > I recently stumbled across a LifeHacker thread on teaching oneself to > program: > http://lifehacker.com/5401954/programmer-101-teach-yourself-how-to-code > > The last section, titled "Patience, Elbow Grease, Trial and Error" is > the core of the matter to my mind. I think this pretty much echos > Devon > & Eric's responses as well. Play with things, have fun, and try not to > be intimidated. Ask questions here and read voraciously. Most > importantly, though I've already said it: PLAY, and have FUN! > > Hope that helps, and have a great weekend. > -Corey > > On 5/6/2011 3:24 PM, Ceci Land wrote: > > 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, > "Michael J. Giarlo" 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 > > 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 tim
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
As others have just said, a portfolio may or may not matter. The polished product isn't the issue, though. It's skills, principles and knowledge you pick up while experimenting. Whether or not you share a spare-time project with a potential employer, having spent a bit of time on your own learning about this stuff will make you a stronger candidate & a better interviewee. You'll be able to speak that much more confidently and persuasively about a broader range of technologies, which will almost certainly help you in the job market. -Corey On 5/6/2011 4:06 PM, Ceci Land 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 B&W 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, Devon 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 -- Corey A Harper Metadata Services Librarian New York University Libraries 20 Cooper Square, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-7112 212.998.2479 corey.har...@nyu.edu
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 16:24, Jon Gorman wrote: > Here's my take on whether or not the projects are going to be useful > in job hunting. It's a bit of a gamble and honestly they may not. On > the other hand, I certainly would take a portfolio as a very good sign > of a candidate in my own hunts. But realistically, the job market's > just too wild at the moment. It does seem to be smoothing out though. First I'd echo what Gabe said -- extracurricular work can "count" in the interview process. Though this probably depends on the job and the committee, I wouldn't be discouraged by it. Were I in your shoes, I would buy new shoes because, really, have you smelled my feet lately? No, were I in your shoes, I'd do a quick poll of the sorts of jobs you'd be interested in landing once you're done with your degree, and make a list of the sorts of technologies referenced. Learning those wouldn't be a bad idea. The key, though, IMO, is not learning any particular set of technologies but demonstrating a love for technology, a willingness to learn new technologies and stay current and be agile, and the ability to apply them in useful ways. -Mike
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Here's my take on whether or not the projects are going to be useful in job hunting. It's a bit of a gamble and honestly they may not. On the other hand, I certainly would take a portfolio as a very good sign of a candidate in my own hunts. But realistically, the job market's just too wild at the moment. It does seem to be smoothing out though. Certainly I would run the portfolio by some systems people you really respect and ask them to give an honest opinion. Such projects can be revealing not just in a positive way but a negative one too. (And I feel bad being negative, perhaps just blame it on a bad week. I've seen very few portfolio's that detracted from my opinion of a candidate.) On the other hand though, personal experience, particularly well supported through independent study and also discussion with others gives a huge boost to your skills. I don't know if a candidate in this job market can afford NOT to spend at least some personal time in developing their skills. Perhaps in an ideal world perhaps school and on-job training would cover all ground. If you can though, double-dip and just take a course assignment to the next level or something like that. In other words, such personal work probably won't greatly increase your chances of beating out the competition, but without it likely you're going to have a hard time making a good impression. Of course, hopefully you enjoy this tech stuff so spending personal time isn't too burdensome ;). But I understand, these days it seems like I never have enough time to work on my "personal" geeky projects. Sorry for the convoluted answer, hopefully it'll help. We can always use more geeky librarians ;). Jon Gorman
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Volunteer work can often be a good way to build your skill set on real world problems without having to quit your day job. Since they aren't paying gigs they usually are happy with entry level programmers. I've used idealist.org in the past to find work. M On 05/06/2011 03:07 PM, Ceci Land 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?
Ceci, I'd honestly recommend just continuing to play, experiment and try things. You don't mention programming/scripting in your initial post, but I can promise you that it's at the core of the cat/sys intersection you speak of. There's a wealth of information out there on trying to start learning this kind of thing, and I really would recommend just jumping right in and trying. Here's where I'd start if I was coming from a cataloging background: * Find a large file of MARC data (you can find free samples and files from a number of publishers, or experiment downloading 1 by 1 over z39.50 or OAI. * If your not using MarcEdit already, install it and have a look at your data. * If you know MARC well, and want to learn XML, download yaz, and use yaz-marcdump to convert your marc file to MARC-XML and have a look at that. (This is a single line typed at command prompt). * Install a scripting environment of your choosing (I'd probably recommend one of: ruby, perl, php or python), and the MARC library/module/gem for it. Go here for more information on MARC libraries, MarcEdit and sample MARC Files: http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/Working_with_MaRC * Google "Hello World" [your chosen language], and follow the instructions in the first couple hits you find. * Start playing. In ruby, for example, a simple "hello-MARC-world" like program that loops through a set of records and prints the title of each one is 6-8 lines, from here, think about things that you might want to dig through records for. Think about questions you might ask a file, such as if the titles not the main entry, print me the main entry, and try to figure out how they might work. As you find yourself having specific questions, you'll find answers to a lot of them online, in sample code, in Q&A forums like Stack Overflow, and on myriad blogs and articles. I recently stumbled across a LifeHacker thread on teaching oneself to program: http://lifehacker.com/5401954/programmer-101-teach-yourself-how-to-code The last section, titled "Patience, Elbow Grease, Trial and Error" is the core of the matter to my mind. I think this pretty much echos Devon & Eric's responses as well. Play with things, have fun, and try not to be intimidated. Ask questions here and read voraciously. Most importantly, though I've already said it: PLAY, and have FUN! Hope that helps, and have a great weekend. -Corey On 5/6/2011 3:24 PM, Ceci Land wrote: 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, "Michael J. Giarlo" 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 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
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
Spare-time projects definitely get respect. You might also look into low-paying or volunteer freelance web development work for an organization with data management challenges. Schools, small businesses, and non-profits of all stripes can use your help, and in the process you'll pick up some skills. On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Ceci Land 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 > B&W 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 > , Devon > 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 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 poten
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 B&W 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 , Devon 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 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.
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
On May 6, 2011, at 3:11 PM, Michael J. Giarlo 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? > > 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 Similarly, I wrote a piece for the LITA Blog a few years ago that might be relevant -- http://bit.ly/hGqNm1 In a nutshell, it advocates learning: * XML * relational databases * computer-aided indexing * programming/scripting HTH -- Eric Lease Morgan, Digital Projects Librarian Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame
Re: [CODE4LIB] If you were starting over, what would you learn and how would you do it?
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 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.
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 >>> , "Michael J. Giarlo" >>> 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 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?
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 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] What do you wish you had time to learn?
Thanks for the updates everyone! Please do continuing editing or adding things you're interested in learning Abigail [spelled with an "i" please ;) ] On 5/6/2011 10:15 AM, Edward Iglesias wrote: Thank You Abagail! I was just doing this in Excel. Here were the top vote getters with a little squishing to dedup. ~ Edward Iglesias Systems Librarian Central Connecticut State University XML/XSLT 6 Drupal 5 Git 5 RDA 5 map/reduce 4 PHP 4 Python 4 R 4 guitar 3 hadoop 3 Javascript 3 MYSQL 3 networking 3 Node.js 3 Spanish 3 Edward Iglesias On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Abigail Goben wrote: In case anyone was curious--here's a compilation of topics people are seeking. May be some ideas for presentations, continuing ed, what not in the future. https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvPz7vaHT-1CdDdvNEFSdlphYmtPUkJOcTNSVnB1RHc&hl=en&authkey=CM2S9tEO Mentioned once for the list, x's are if it was mentioned further in other emails. Top items include: Git Hadoop XLST PHP Python R Cheers! -- Abigail Goben Assistant Information Services Librarian and Assistant Professor University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the Health Sciences - Chicago (M/C 763) 1750 W. Polk Street Chicago, Illinois 60612 312.996.8292 -- Abigail Goben Assistant Information Services Librarian and Assistant Professor University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the Health Sciences - Chicago (M/C 763) 1750 W. Polk Street Chicago, Illinois 60612 312.996.8292
Re: [CODE4LIB] What do you wish you had time to learn?
Thank You Abagail! I was just doing this in Excel. Here were the top vote getters with a little squishing to dedup. ~ Edward Iglesias Systems Librarian Central Connecticut State University XML/XSLT 6 Drupal 5 Git 5 RDA 5 map/reduce 4 PHP 4 Python 4 R 4 guitar 3 hadoop 3 Javascript 3 MYSQL 3 networking 3 Node.js 3 Spanish 3 Edward Iglesias On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Abigail Goben wrote: > In case anyone was curious--here's a compilation of topics people are > seeking. May be some ideas for presentations, continuing ed, what not in the > future. > > > https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvPz7vaHT-1CdDdvNEFSdlphYmtPUkJOcTNSVnB1RHc&hl=en&authkey=CM2S9tEO > > Mentioned once for the list, x's are if it was mentioned further in other > emails. Top items include: > > Git > Hadoop > XLST > PHP > Python > R > > > Cheers! > > -- > Abigail Goben > Assistant Information Services Librarian and Assistant Professor > University of Illinois at Chicago > Library of the Health Sciences - Chicago (M/C 763) > 1750 W. Polk Street > Chicago, Illinois 60612 > 312.996.8292 >
Re: [CODE4LIB] Position Anouncment: Web Developer - University of Pittsburgh
"Gregg, Brian D" wrote: >Systems/Programmer III >Web Developer, Information Systems, Thomas BL. > >To apply or see more information on this position: >https://www.pittsource.com/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=239751 > >This is a temporary grant-funded position through September 30, 2013 in the >University Library System/Information Technology Department, responsible for >planning, development and implementation of Web-based applications and >interfaces for content management and e-publishing systems, with emphasis on >local software development, integration and configuration of open source >content management software and data migration tasks to export, transform and >import content and metadata between systems. > >50% effort will be applied to the development of Telerehabilitate!, a national >database and directory of telerehabilitation service providers. The remaining >50% effort will be devoted to Web development projects to support the ULS >D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program (http://www.library.pitt.edu/dscribe) and >other Web-based services. At various times, the incumbent will be expected to >perform in the general areas of systems analysis; system design and >development, needs assessment, resource planning and allocation, and >independent execution of major projects. The incumbent will maintain >communication with faculty, staff and students within libraries and throughout >the University, with vendors and open source software developers and users >worldwide. > >B.S. degree in Computer or Information Science or related field of study or 5 >years equivalent work experience with diverse Web Development tools in a >complex network environment; > >REQUIRED: >Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of: > >* LAMP environment (Linux/Unix, Apache, MySQL, PHP 5+). > >* Drupal content management system, Perl, HTML, XML, CSS, Javascript, >jQuery, AJAX > >* Experience in developing Web applications for multiple platforms and >browsers. > >* Demonstrated understanding of object oriented concepts, design >patterns, and various open-source toolkits and frameworks. > >* Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability and desire to >learn. > >* Software life-cycle including software documentation, design, >specification and development > >PREFERRED: > >Strong working knowledge of: > > > >* Solaris, Fedora or RedHat operating systems; > >* Geospatial search and retrieval systems > >* Web software integration using APIs to Web 2.0 services such as >Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, etc. > >* Java > >* LDAP > >* Microsoft SharePoint > >* Islandora > >* Fedora Commons Repository > >* VMware >Minimum of two years experience with Web development using the Drupal content >management system in a LAMP environment (Linux/Unix, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
Re: [CODE4LIB] What do you wish you had time to learn?
Would anyone be interested in working through "Introduction to Probability and Statistics Using R" together? There's a free downloadable PDF and a paperback is available. http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/introduction-to-probability-and-statistics-using-r/12037733 /dev On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Abigail Goben wrote: > In case anyone was curious--here's a compilation of topics people are > seeking. May be some ideas for presentations, continuing ed, what not in the > future. > > https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvPz7vaHT-1CdDdvNEFSdlphYmtPUkJOcTNSVnB1RHc&hl=en&authkey=CM2S9tEO > > Mentioned once for the list, x's are if it was mentioned further in other > emails. Top items include: > > Git > Hadoop > XLST > PHP > Python > R > > > Cheers! > > -- > Abigail Goben > Assistant Information Services Librarian and Assistant Professor > University of Illinois at Chicago > Library of the Health Sciences - Chicago (M/C 763) > 1750 W. Polk Street > Chicago, Illinois 60612 > 312.996.8292 > -- Sent from my GMail account.
