The Systems Librarian

The all-pervasive nature of automation in libraries and information centres means that we are now more dependent than ever on those who manage and oversee IT-based systems. New technologies and the proliferation of IT-based systems and services have raised the profile and expanded the scope of the systems manager's duties, and the post of systems librarian is therefore a key appointment in many organizations. This book focuses specifically on the systems librarian. With contributions from practising systems administrators and senior library managers from public and academic libraries in the UK and US, the first section offers an insight into the practicalities of systems work, the management decisions involved, the wider issues, which are raised for the profession as a whole, and the results of recent research. Further sections examine some alternatives to having a dedicated systems manager, the problem of training and educating systems staff, the system vendor's relationship with the systems librarian, and how market forces and technological developments may impact on the future role of the systems librarian.
This book appears at a time of rapid technological change, when many libraries are preparing to migrate to new UNIX-based systems. The book will appeal not only to systems librarians and library systems managers, but also to the growing number of staff whose work involves an element of systems administration; to senior library managers planning the future development of their systems unit; to students and those considering a career in systems work; and to those concerned with the education and training of LIS professionals in an automated environment.