The first step is recognizing that you are not in control—your customers, employees, and partners are. This is a fad that will not fade, but will only grow stronger, with or without you.
—Charlene Li1
Classwork provides a necessary foundation, but only real-life experience can actually create a successful systems librarian and prepare you to be an effective negotiator for yourself and your career. The true pluses and minuses of systems librarianship become apparent as you settle into your profession, and each technology librarian must make a personal decision as to whether the rewards and opportunities outweigh the inherent frustrations. Many universities give credit for related work experience—and for good reason. All of your experiences and interactions with library staff, patrons, and colleagues go into forming the foundation of your philosophy of systems librarianship, as well as the framework for your day-to-day activities.
Getting advice from other professionals (such as a mentor) and cultivating an awareness of the potential pitfalls (and opportunities) will also help you prepare to make the most out of your experience with systems-related work in libraries. In the following sections, you’ll find information about dealing with some real-world situations not covered in any class, including finding a job, moving into careers in related fields, negotiating a promotion, dealing with technostress, and the ethics of systems librarianship. Included are comments from working systems librarians who have been there themselves.
Although many systems librarians initially enter their careers unintentionally, they often choose to stay in the field because they find the challenges and opportunities of systems work personally rewarding. If you’ve built up your technology skills in one library, you may wish to seek a new systems position at another library at some point. You will be in a better position to locate opportunities and negotiate terms if you have first done your research on the types of positions available and if you are cognizant of the potential pitfalls of starting a new library systems position. Having the facts will also be useful if you are considering becoming a systems librarian or if you currently work in a nonsystems position in a library but are considering changing specialties.
Finding a rewarding new position as a computer services librarian has its pros and cons. Systems-related jobs in libraries are relatively abundant. Libraries are always in need of people with technical aptitude and a willingness to help manage technology, so it may be easier to find a job with this focus than one in another subfield of librarianship.
While many systems librarians originally grew into their responsibilities at the time technical skills were first needed at their library, when they leave their institutions, they leave a hole that may take some time to fill. Incumbents will have had years to develop expertise with their library’s particular technological environment and to build its complexity. Most will be leaving behind an environment that has evolved over the past few years to require consistent systems support. And sometimes these librarians will leave little or less than detailed documentation to help those who come after them. This makes it difficult for an institution that has previously had a systems librarian in place to take the time to “grow” a replacement candidate from inside; a library that has never had someone to manage its systems usually builds such complexity gradually.
If you have built or learned technical skills in your past library jobs (or in library school), you will be ready to start working in a position where a previous systems person has blazed the way. Robert R. Holzmann, systems librarian at Tulsa Community College, recommended just that in his survey response: “Find a degree program with adequate technology education as part of the requirements or available for electives or supplementary classes. Also get at least a part-time position working a systems or technology job, or preferably a library job that deals with systems and technology. Seek out an internship in a library technology role. Volunteer if necessary, as that is just as valuable. Augment your library education with real experience.”
Systems-related jobs in libraries tend to start with somewhat higher salaries than other positions in libraries. This, however, is relative; since systems jobs often also include responsibility for other library duties in departments from reference to technical services and since they come with attendant stresses, systems librarians also earn their money. Many library administrations do, however, recognize the importance of compensating and retaining technically skilled staff, and salaries often reflect that understanding. This is particularly true if a position requires certifications or programming experience.
Academic libraries may prefer to hire librarians over non-MLS computer administrators for technical positions; at some institutions, librarians with faculty status can start at a higher pay scale than IT personnel in nonfaculty positions, increasing the odds of retention. This is one reason for the diversity of job titles mentioned in Chapter 1; individuals in similar positions may be classified quite differently, depending on the policies and pay scales of their parent institutions.
Systems-related jobs in libraries, however, tend to have a lower compensation rate than technology-related positions outside of libraries; the lower salaries endemic to librarianship carry through to technology positions. While computer-related work is generally more lucrative relative to other subfields of librarianship, salaries are still lower than those in many equivalent private sector IT jobs. We are all familiar with the tendency of female-dominated professions such as librarianship to have historically lower salaries than others requiring equivalent education and experience, and women in IT in general earn 9 percent less than men in comparable positions.2
Additionally, while librarianship has traditionally been seen as a lower-stress field, managing the systems that are essential to the library’s operation and dealing with constant change can produce private sector stresses without an equivalent level of compensation. Since most library operations are now dependent on the smooth functioning of computer technology, you may not view your position as having a lower stress level when perhaps the network goes down and all eyes turn to you to resolve the situation. (Read more about technostress later in this chapter.)
But for many, the library field offers opportunities that more than offset these difficulties. One survey respondent accurately sums up the job as “Challenging and frustrating, yet fun.” Systems jobs in public and academic libraries, furthermore, are sometimes more stable in uncertain economic times than are private sector IT jobs.
While you are absorbing this mixed news about the systems librarian job market, note that those writing the job ads for systems librarians may have only the vaguest idea of their library’s true technology needs. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult for you to create an effective application for the position, discourage applicants who have the qualifications actually needed (rather than those listed in the ad), and lead to surprises when you start working. During your interview, it’s a good idea to try to ascertain the technological savvy of your immediate superior and the library’s administration. See if you can speak with those who have worked with technology in the library in order to get an accurate overview of the existing computing environment. Some administrators may have an unfortunate tendency to pepper their job ads with buzzwords because they have heard that “X” product (or programming language, or software package) represents the latest and greatest in technology. Whether “X” serves the library’s needs or actually represents its current technological environment remains to be seen.
Untangling the Job Ad
Deciphering job advertisements for technology librarians can be an art in itself. Some ads are unfortunately brief or vague, forcing you to make assumptions about an institution’s technological environment and providing little help to show how your qualifications match that library’s needs. Other ads may seem to err on the side of verbosity, listing every possible qualification, software package, and skill. In academic environments, ads may have been written by committee, sometimes becoming an unfortunate amalgamation of personal preferences and institutional requirements.
When reading an ad, look first for any specific required or preferred technical qualifications. These usually take the form of statements like:
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing and implementing integrated library systems
• Knowledge of web programming and scripting languages
• Demonstrated knowledge of computers, networks, library automated systems, emerging technologies, and Windows operating systems
• Knowledge of networking, internet, and software applications
Your own best defense against vague requirements such as these is specificity. If the ad asks for “knowledge of networking,” clarify in your cover letter and resume the type and size of networks you have administered. If it asks for “knowledge of web scripting languages,” provide the URL of a library website you have created and explain how you have used CSS, AJAX, Perl, PHP, and/or other scripting tools to enhance its performance. Also check the organization’s website to get a better sense of its computing environment—you should at least be able to ascertain which ILS vendor the library has and the types of computing facilities available for patron use.
Ads that tend toward the overly specific will list requirements such as:
Knowledge of Windows 2008 Server, Exchange mail server, Ubuntu for workstations, Windows 7, Mac OS, Office 2010, OCLC Connexion, Koha, LINK+ interlibrary loan, Drupal, AACR2/RDA, MARC, NCIP, FRBR, Z39.50, Endnote, McAfee Antivirus, Deep Freeze, Syndetics, Dell Inspiron troubleshooting, Moodle, Unix, HTML, XML, Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, Javascript …
You can respond to such kitchen-sink ads by focusing on the major points and on your major strengths. Explain your skills and background in network administration, point to the URL of a website you have worked on, and describe your ILS and cataloging support activities. Emphasize your willingness to extend these skills to encompass the specific software packages used in the particular library’s environment.
Job descriptions—especially technical job descriptions—often contain a “wish list” that describes the qualifications of the institution’s ideal candidate. In the real world, administrators and search committees do not necessarily expect to find someone with every skill and qualification listed in a particular ad. If you have some of the skills mentioned and believe you could reasonably acquire the rest, or if you have related skills that could meet the library’s needs, a lengthy list of qualifications in a posting shouldn’t dissuade you from applying. Be prepared, however, to describe in your cover letter and in an interview how your existing skills can apply and how you intend to acquire additional knowledge in any desired areas.
Forewarned is forearmed. You should be aware of potential pitfalls before applying. In many institutions, you will have broader responsibilities than those specific to maintaining library technology; you may also be required to work the reference desk, catalog materials, help develop the library’s collection, and/or manage a circulation department. Scrutinize such split positions carefully to ensure that you will be willing and able to undertake all of the duties and that the compensation is relatively fair for the activities required.
To maximize your chances of finding a position that is a “good fit,” be sure to examine your potential working environment and not only your potential salary. Remember that in dealing with your supervisor and co-workers, you will be dealing with them not only as a colleague but also as a representative of the library’s computing environment. Consider carefully whether you wish to work in an institution where the staff seems fearful of or resistant to technology and change. Be sure to talk directly with your future supervisor and/or administrator during your interview; these are the people whose support you will need later when it comes to arguing for important decisions regarding the library’s computing environment. One systems librarian who responded to the survey listed the most frustrating part of the job as “Dealing with colleagues who are opposed to any new technology because they will have to learn something new and it will mean more work for them.” Make sure that you are working with people who understand that systems change, which means you have to make changes from time to time in order to do your job effectively.
Beyond ascertaining the technological environment, level of support, and computing expertise at your new institution, you’ll also need to be aware of the opportunities your new position may (or may not) offer for professional development. While all librarians require professional development opportunities and support, this is doubly true for systems librarians who need to keep current both in the library field and with new technological developments that will affect the computing environment in their institutions. Ask if the library provides funding to attend conferences, classes, and workshops; ask what former systems personnel have done to keep up with their skills. While there are a number of low-cost alternatives available (see Chapter 9), sometimes there is no substitute for a formal class or conference.
Also carefully consider the size and type of library you are willing to work in. If you are comfortable with the thought of working independently and serving as a solo systems librarian, a smaller public library may be right for you. If you want the chance to be on the cutting edge of technology or prefer to work as part of a larger systems staff, you may instead investigate options in larger, better-funded research institutions or large public library systems. If you do not wish to work with the public and prefer a more specialized environment, look at corporate and special library opportunities. Think about whether you would prefer to specialize in one area of systems work, such as web design, training, or network administration, or if you prefer to have responsibilities in a variety of areas. Your answers to these questions have a big influence on the types of positions you should be applying for.
If you are considering systems librarianship as a new career, it will also be useful to familiarize yourself with the field’s ups and downs by speaking with working systems personnel in libraries before committing yourself to a job or a path of study. Follow the discussions on a mailing list such as SYSLIB-L; see if your library school has a mentoring or job shadowing program; follow other systems librarians on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; and try to set up informational interviews with systems librarians at nearby libraries or using social networks. (Note that an informational interview differs from a job interview. You are not necessarily seeking a position at that particular library; you are merely trying to get an inside look at the daily responsibilities of the job.) You will find that most librarians are eager to share their experiences and will be honest about the pitfalls and the promise of dealing with technology in libraries. If you are currently enrolled or are planning to enroll in library school, try to locate an internship in the field. Real-world experience will provide the best indication of the true advantages and disadvantages of the specialty.
Once you are convinced that you want to pursue a systems position, note that job opportunities can be found in a number of ways. Library technology associations such as LITA and ASIST hold free placement centers at their annual meetings; this can be a great way to focus your search for technology-related positions in libraries and to attend in-person interviews with out-of-state institutions. Even if you cannot attend the meeting, you may be able to submit your resume for scrutiny by potential employers. Both associations also maintain online job lists (LITA’s at www.ala.org/lita/professional/jobs and ASIST’s at www.asis.org/jobline.html), which are good sources for information technology positions in libraries. Job ads are also often posted to SYSLIB-L and other email lists for systems librarians (see Chapter 7). Lastly, remember to consult employment resources that are less specifically focused on technology, such as general library journals (both print and online), local library schools, and major library career-related websites, such as LISjobs.com (www.lisjobs.com), I Need a Library Job (www.inalj.com), and Library Job Postings on the Internet (www.libraryjobpostings.org). Also watch local library pages on Facebook and Twitter.
Working as a systems librarian will also prepare you for jobs in a number of other related fields. Many systems librarians move in and out of libraries or go on to work for related industries, such as library automation vendors and database companies. The skills learned on the job as a computer services librarian provide a useful background for positions as trainers, support representatives, metadata specialists, and product managers, each of which requires a unique mix of library and technical knowledge.
You might also consider contributing to the profession by writing on technical topics for library journals or publishers. Recognizing the impact of technology and the need for librarians to learn about technological issues, many library-related publishing outlets are on the lookout for writers who can address computer-related topics from a library perspective. Information Today, Inc., for example, publishes a number of relevant journals (www.infotoday.com/periodicals.shtml), and LITA and ASIST’s member publications are always looking for content. You might also look into writing for the open access journals such as Code4Lib Journal (journal.code4lib.org/call-for-submissions) and D-Lib Magazine (www.dlib.org). If you have an idea for a monograph, Neal-Schuman, now part of ALA, and Information Today, Inc. tend to publish large numbers of technology-related titles for librarians, while more general library publishing houses sometimes include technical topics among their offerings.
General library journals often include technology-related articles. These journals may be a good outlet if you have a knack for clearly explaining technical issues to a general audience. Library publications often look for “how I did it in my institution” articles, which provide you with an opportunity to describe an innovative or particularly useful deployment of technology at your library. In any of these cases, both your library and your technical skills will be useful as you research and work on your manuscript. If you are in an academic institution, you may instead wish to submit work to peer-reviewed journals to help secure tenure or a promotion. Applicable outlets here include publications such as LITA’s Information Technology and Libraries, Journal of Web Librarianship, and LIBRES, as well as more general academic library journals.
Technology book reviewers are also in demand. Although library publications generally do not pay for book reviews, you get to keep a copy of the book and will gain the advantage of having your name listed as a technical expert. FreePint (www.freepint.com) reviews web-related titles, while general library journals often include technology titles in their review sections. Lastly, consider serving as a referee for one of the technology-related peer-reviewed library journals, which occasionally will post calls for applicants on technology lists or in the journals themselves. Watch for calls for contributors, referees, and reviewers on your mailing lists and in journals you follow.
If you are willing and flexible enough to take on systems responsibilities as well as traditional library duties, or if multitasking appeals to you, adding systems duties to your normal tasks can be a good starting point for asking for increased compensation and/or a promotion. You should especially consider brushing up on your negotiating and self-promotion skills if you are an accidental systems librarian who has already taken on these additional responsibilities without a concomitant increase in salary and change in job title. Research the job market to see what other professionals in similar positions are being offered and be prepared to defend your request.
Be sure to enumerate the benefits your work as a systems librarian brings to your institution. This will be most effective if you cite the specifics: “The new ILS has enabled staff to …” “We have taught Web 2.0 classes in 2012.” “Bringing support in-house has saved the library dollars this year.” Unfortunately, if you have been doing your job effectively, your contributions may seem invisible—as long as computer systems are running smoothly, your administration may not realize the potential for disaster without someone continually making the necessary adjustments to ensure they remain stable.
If you have taken advantage of opportunities to improve your technological skills through attending classes, earning certifications, or participating in self-study, this can be another tool in your promotion arsenal. Traditionally, libraries provide pay increases and promotions for those who take charge of their own education and improve the service they are able to give the library by attending library school, earning an LTA certificate, and so on. Taking computer classes and earning certifications should be similarly rewarded, since you are learning practical skills in order to carry out the duties of your position more effectively.
If your attempts to gain increased compensation or recognition go unrewarded, be prepared to back up your arguments with action. Start looking for another job. You are responsible for managing your own career, and the market for experienced systems librarians is strong enough that you should have no problem making a move. The threat of losing you to another institution may shake your administration out of its complacency as it faces the possibility of having to attract and train a new systems person. Do not be surprised if your employer makes a counteroffer. If not, you will likely be able to increase your salary by taking the time to find an appropriate position elsewhere; but don’t try this tactic if you are not ready to walk. The more plentiful nature of systems jobs in libraries gives you a stronger bargaining position; your institution will realize that you can easily go elsewhere. As Barbara Arnold states, “Knowledge is power. If you put your knowledge to work, we can all achieve better salary equity.”3 Go into your annual review or interview with information about salary standards in the industry and in your area.
Realize also that merely being willing to fight for fair compensation, promotion, and recognition can have an impact on how you are perceived within your institution. Since much of effective systems librarianship involves being able to argue for the resources to do your job properly, you need to lay the foundation of respect that will make your administration take you seriously in future discussions. As Deborah Kolb and Ann Schaffner note: “Getting what you are worth is not just about money. It is about perceptions of your worth and your contribution. Your perception—and that of others—will affect your ability to command the resources and respect you need to do your job effectively. Each time you successfully negotiate the salary you deserve, you lay the groundwork to get the resources you need and you pave the way for others in the profession to do the same.”4
Although most people who gravitate to systems work in libraries tend to be more flexible and enthusiastic about change than the norm, technostress still takes its toll. This is partially due to the additional level of responsibility library systems personnel assume in keeping themselves up-to-date with the latest technologies and partially due to the frustrations inherent in trying to maintain computer systems and placate computer users when inevitable outages occur. A number of respondents to the accidental systems librarians’ survey mentioned inadequate time and resources as the most frustrating aspect of their jobs, and many also emphasized the difficulty in keeping up with new opportunities and technologies while continuing to keep current equipment and software running. While systems librarians tend to enter the field accidentally and their beginning successes are lauded, these initial technological successes only raise the bar and increase their administration’s expectations of future performance—even though future and additional systems may be more difficult and time-consuming to manage. Although systems increase in complexity and systems librarians’ tasks increase over the years, this increased complexity will likely not be appreciated by library staff and administrators who just see either that things are humming along or they are not.
Technostress (especially when combined with the lower compensation endemic to library work) can also be a major factor in driving library systems people out of the field. As one survey respondent noted: “I doubt I have ever worked as hard as I do now, and that includes when I had seven staff with their 100 manufacturing operatives. The days are long, the pace relentless, but I love it (usually). I miss the money and the travel of the vendor world though.”
Technostress often also stems from physical causes. Many libraries, especially smaller institutions, have added technology incrementally and ad hoc rather than planning it out, such as when setting up a new building or lab. Such libraries often give short shrift to ergonomics issues and comfort factors, shoehorning equipment into existing furniture and fitting it where possible throughout the library. This affects all staff, but systems librarians are particularly vulnerable to problems such as carpal tunnel, eyestrain, and backache, due to the amount of time spent working with technology. Argue for attention to ergonomics, and do what you can to adjust your own environment. If you find yourself aching or developing tension headaches, take a break, stretch, walk around—get out from behind the monitor. Just paying attention to your own physical well-being can have a dramatic impact on how you feel about supporting library technology.
This discussion is not intended to sway you from library systems work but rather to raise your awareness of the stresses inherent in these types of positions. The lack of time to keep up with current technology or to provide an optimum level of support for library staff and users was mentioned by a large number of survey respondents. To be an effective systems librarian, you must be willing to commit to a path of lifelong learning, as well as to fight for the time and resources to back up that commitment. You must learn to value constructive change and to thrive on its presence.
Be prepared to work with library staff members and users who refuse to take responsibility for learning about technology. You can create training opportunities for such individuals (see Chapter 8), but you will find that a number are resistant to change. They may refuse to learn and will call on you for every difficulty involving computers, even those problems that are easily resolved by an action as simple as rebooting the machine. This requires you to learn to manage and prioritize your own time. Most libraries lack the luxury of excess systems staff to hold users’ hands, so try not to enable dependent behavior. One of the more frustrating aspects of systems work can be the constant interruptions from staff and users wanting an immediate resolution to an annoying (to them) yet minor problem, while you are attempting to find the time to work on a major project such as an ILS migration or technology plan. While you wish to encourage an open-door policy, you also need to maintain the ability to prioritize, and you must refrain from taking up all of your time solving problems that staff could easily resolve on their own.
This is a situation in which it will be helpful to plan for the education of your co-workers. Go back to the computer competencies you created in Chapter 1 and ensure that all library employees have the training and resources they need to achieve these competencies. If you are repeatedly interrupted with the same issue, create a cheat sheet for all relevant staff members that provides step-by-step instructions for resolving the situation. Insist that staff complete the steps on these handouts before you help them with these common problems and establish early on the tasks that you and other systems staff will not be responsible for (such as changing printer toner, removing paper jams, or rebooting a frozen terminal). Also remember that some learners prefer to see the steps. When relevant, include screenshots on your handouts or even create a screencast and post it to the intranet where your entire staff can view it as needed. While this may lead to grumbling on the part of some staff members who don’t want to spend time reading or watching a tutorial, the inevitable savings to your time and sanity will more than balance out the impact of any dissension.
Any computer skills you can teach your co-workers or that they acquire on their own will go a long way toward helping technology in your library run more smoothly. Have no fear about educating yourself out of a job; remember, there is as much for you to learn as for them and your skill set is very different. As Kathryn Bergeron, systems librarian for Baldwin Public Library, explained in her survey response: “Find excellent mentors and friends who can help you. You can’t keep up with all of the technology trends at once, but if you know the right people, you can all share your information and benefit together.”
Useful basic troubleshooting skills to teach your library’s staff include:
• Rebooting a malfunctioning machine before calling technical support: Be sure to teach staff that, if neither a proper shutdown nor restart hotkeys will work, they can use the reset button, the off switch, or the power plug to power down the machine manually when needed. When someone calls you for technical support, always ask whether they have rebooted before taking the time to go and investigate the problem in person.
• Using restart hotkeys: At least on staff machines—this combination may be blocked by security software or network policies on patron systems—these keys can shut down a frozen application (for example Control+Alt+Delete on Windows machines or Command+Option+Esc on Mac OS).
• Trying to access a nonresponding website on a second machine before concluding that the problem is with a particular PC (rather than with the particular site)
• Clearing paper jams from, adding paper to, and changing the toner in laser printers
• Checking to see if monitors, computers, and printers are securely plugged into a powerstrip that is turned on—and connected to each other—before concluding that a system has died or will not boot
Additional skills may be appropriate for your library’s specific technological environment. Make sure that staff members have enough basic knowledge to report a problem accurately to systems personnel and to fill out the report sheets you created in Chapter 6. These skills are especially important for public service staff members, who will generally be the first to encounter problems with public access workstations. It needs to be clear what public service staff will be expected to support. Are they responsible, for example, for showing patrons how to use the features of your word-processing software? Helping them send email? Assisting them in pasting a resume into a form on the internet? Signing up for social networks such as Facebook or Google+? You will likely wish to emphasize supporting library-related functions such as the OPAC and subscription databases over helping users with incidental computer issues with features such as email or chat. Ensure that nonsystems staff members know what they will be responsible for helping patrons with and what falls outside the scope of their duties. This will also help ensure a consistent environment for users, so they do not find that one day one staff member can help them and the next day a different staff member refuses to do so or does not know the software well enough.
It may be more acceptable if you make incremental changes to what library staff are expected to do. Allow them to build their skills and feel confident in each step before demanding more. Dramatically changing expectations all at once will trigger staff members’ fear of change and resentment at being handed additional tasks that may have been taken care of for them in the past, but empowering your colleagues bit by bit will increase their confidence in their own skills and result in their wanting to accomplish more on their own. Think of this as an evolutionary process of creating change; taking incremental steps over time can lead to dramatic results. As the change agent within your library, it is incumbent upon you to work to conquer your colleagues’ fear of change. As Seth Godin writes: “We start by bypassing our fear of change by training people to make small, effortless changes all the time.”5 Dramatic, sudden change gives people something to talk about and to fear, while consciously making change a gradual process allows them to build their confidence with each step.
Staff members will also be less resistant to change if they are kept informed of the changes before they happen and of the reasoning behind any changes. Always keep the lines of communication open and be aware of the potential for staff to see technology shifts as being imposed from “on high” with little rhyme or reason. Involve appropriate staff members in technology decisions as much as possible and show them how any change will positively impact the way they do their day-to-day tasks. Clark and Kalin note that: “What many regard as technostress is really resistance to change. Resistance is certainly not new, nor is it limited to computerization.”6 Make it your task to gradually reduce this resistance.
Sharing knowledge and building incremental change allows you to reduce the technostress level in other library staff members and yourself. The more others are able to do, the less basic technical support you will have to provide, freeing you up for other duties. The more they are able to do, the more they will feel empowered by technology rather than overwhelmed by it. Realize that neither stress nor technostress is a new phenomenon in libraries—although this may seem to provide little comfort to librarians who are overwhelmed by the perception of constant change. Realizing the constancy of change can help you keep some perspective.
Systems librarians tend to encounter stresses in other forms as well. While patron privacy and confidentiality have been cornerstones of the philosophy of librarianship, privacy concerns and other ethical issues are compounded by the power of technology. Technological advances make it possible to collect information on the activities of patrons and library staff members that was previously unavailable, and much of this information may be automatically generated without any specific effort on the part of library systems personnel. For example, some personalized website and catalog services can have the side effect of allowing libraries to track individual usage patterns. When patrons demand social network integration into library services, this opens them and their libraries up to sharing personal information. Automated catalogs can keep transaction logs on library items and the patrons using them. Web server logs can track visitors by IP address. You may be involved in deciding whether and how long to keep and whether to use or view this information or in creating and posting privacy policies for your internet services.
Given these technical possibilities, libraries should create policies on the collection and usage of electronic information. For example, staff members should be aware if the institution is collecting information on their email usage and/or websites visited. Packages that have been implemented as filtering solutions in a number of libraries also have the ability to track where users have been by user name or by department. You and your administration need to decide whether such reporting will be implemented and how it will be used. This is an especially tricky issue for librarians who are part of a larger institution such as a university or a corporation, where the rules and philosophy might differ considerably from the library’s perspective. For patrons, we have a responsibility to let our users know whether they have the same expectations to privacy of their electronic resource usage as they have had in the past for items such as circulation records.
These privacy issues also extend to internal technologies such as your local area network. If you have administrative privileges on the network, you also likely have the ability to view network-stored files and documents that are normally accessible only by the HR department or your administration. This can be very tempting and requires you to develop the ability to refrain from accessing private areas without good reason. You may accidentally encounter confidential information when you are helping someone in one of these departments resolve a computer issue; this will require you to develop an attitude of discretion.
You will need to decide how you will react if your administration or outside entities ask you to reveal information about your patrons’ or your colleagues’ usage of electronic resources, especially if your institution does not have a specific policy protecting such information. You may also be confronted with other ethical issues. What will you do if you find out that a staff member has “borrowed” a library-purchased DVD in order to install software on his home computer? If a member of your systems staff is using a large chunk of server storage for copyrighted MP3 files she has downloaded from the internet? If you start a new position and find that the previous systems librarian purchased a single copy of a software package at some point and installed it on multiple machines? What if a patron using a public-access internet PC leaves a site promoting violence or child pornography prominently displayed on the monitor when he leaves the station?
You will encounter less clear-cut ethical challenges as well. As a technological decision maker in a wired institution, you hold a great deal of power over people’s computing environment. Avoid the temptation to allocate computing resources more heavily toward individuals you like or departments/functions you personally prefer. Answer questions and resolve issues equally quickly; this shouldn’t depend on who is asking. One piece of advice often given to newer employees is to make friends with the janitor and the secretary, who each wield a great deal of power over your ability to work effectively—this extends also to the “systems person.” Foster good relations with your co-workers but never at the expense of others’ needs.
These are issues for both libraries and individual systems librarians to grapple with. You will need to balance the good of your institution, the legality of users’ actions, privacy considerations, and your personal ethical outlook in making tough decisions. Realize that, as in other areas of systems librarianship, there are often no simple answers, but you can draw on your library background to provide an ethical foundation for your technological outlook.
1. Charlene Li, Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010), 24.
2. Don Tennant, “Dice: Gender Pay Gap Nonexistent in Apples-to-Apples Comparison,” ITBusinessEdge, January 24, 2011, accessed May 31, 2012, www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/blogs/tennant/dicegender-pay-gap-nonexistent-in-apples-to-apples-comparison/?cs=45244.
3. Barbara J. Arnold, “Knowledge Is Power for Salary Equity,” Info Career Trends, July 1, 2005, accessed May 31, 2012, www.lisjobs.com/career_trends/?p=337.
4. Deborah M. Kolb and Ann C. Schaffner, “Negotiating What You’re Worth,” Library Journal (October 15, 2001): 52–53.
5. Seth Godin, Survival Is Not Enough: Zooming, Evolution, and the Future of Your Company (New York: Free Press, 2002), 30.
6. Katie Clark and Sally Kalin, “Technostressed Out?” Library Journal (August 1996).