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I'm getting my MLIS degree this semester, and I'm, like everyone, in pretty much the same boat with regards to jobs-- looking and applying. I guess I'm fortunate that I'm already working as a part-time library aide at the local public library, and I'm also doing an archival internship for a local film company that needs their records and database maintained. I'm coming here to ask just sort of... my general direction or prospects. Like where I should be applying and looking. For one thing, I discovered fairly early on in my studies that I really really like designing/setting up databases and working with metadata. I took an XML class and loved it. I taught myself CSS to build a webpage for a friend. I don't know MySQL and PHP though, but in general I've got a knack for the more kind of programming/systems side of things. Based on that, what should I be looking out for? Can I talk about the webpage I did as past experience? What kind of jobs require an MLIS degree, but have that sort of "data management/metadata programming" flavor to them?
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Mar 29, 2014 02:38
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 12:23 |
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I have just recently started working full-time at the library, and I am continually baffled by how computer illiterate a lot of people are. People don't seem to grasp the most basic, fundamental concepts, such as the difference between surfing the web and looking at things on your computer, or what it actually means to send an email, or how to switch between browser windows. It is literally on the level of magical thinking -- "If I click this button, it does this thing; to get to where I want to go, I do it in this specific sequence, and it makes a thing happen." If something goes wrong, like they forget their password or the site updates, suddenly they panic and call one of us to help them. Also, it is really annoying when they bring up some baloney website they were trying to get to or form they were trying to fill in, and expect us to know off the top of our heads how to do this thing that they've always done. Why are people so bad at computers?? It's not that difficult! Someone needs to teach people the basic concepts -- the mindset of how to solve problems on the computer, rather than just letting folks cruise by on rote memorization. Because it really is baffling and often very time-consuming.
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Oct 19, 2014 06:36
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Pththya-lyi posted:Generally the people who have trouble with computers are those who didn't grow up with computers in the house. Lots of poorer households still don't have a home computer, so even people in the generation of "digital natives" can be pretty computer-illiterate. The best solution to your problem would be to get a computer into every home, but there's not enough political will to do that, so the next best thing is probably to convince your bosses to set up a free computer class at your library. Yeah, that would be nice.  I guess I was just letting off some steam. I really do want to help people, but often I feel so constrained by the fact that my time is limited -- people are waiting in line at the desk, and there's like 3 or 4 people who flag me down when I go to help just the first person. If I only had the time to sit down with a few of them and just start straight from the very basic concepts, I'd be able to teach them skills that they could use to figure everything out themselves.
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Oct 19, 2014 06:48
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