Resume: "Can use Microsoft Word..."

Remember when it used to be a key point on your resume when you could say you were proficient in Word?  Now, it's a given.  Can't use a word processor?  Well, then you're probably not getting that job.  But it's more than that now.  It's everything from knowing how to make basic tables to incorporating reports from other programs.

Personally, I like the Microsoft suite in general.  I like how far they've come from the old type and save as program I used in middle school.  I also have been very lucky in that my past job really encouraged me to learn the ins and outs of all of our computer programs.  I was able to take classes and spend time looking up tutorials online until I felt confident enough to train the rest of the staff on whatever the new program was.

What are the new "Microsoft Word" skills you think will become standard in the next decade for your resume?  Lately I feel like I've seen a lot of job postings that want experience in basic html and social networking.

3D Printers

So one of the things we were discussing in class this week was 3D printers in libraries.  Personally, I think that having a 3D printer would be a great asset for most libraries, but of course it all depends on the community.  Academic libraries could probably make it work, especially for art or science programs, and I think most public libraries with a varied audience could also make it work.  Because we were discussing it, I wanted to look into projects people had completed with 3D printers to see what they could do.

Projects I found online included making everyday items, such as household tools, and small pieces of jewelry. 

Other projects were not so ordinary:

Church Architectural Model

And this project here:

Description of Beak Created for Eagle

3D printing is definitely a wave of the future, and I think most librarians are happy to see what else the future holds for them.  Plus, who doesn't want to make prosthetic beaks for injured eagles?

What is a Technology Librarian?

“Technology Librarian” is a position I’ve been coming across more and more frequently in the recent past.  As someone who has focused on reference librarianship, I was less than familiar what exactly a technology librarian was.  I assumed it was a librarian made of technology (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: The conception of the technology librarian.

Finally curiosity got the best of me and I looked up some job descriptions of a technology librarian as well as qualifications.  From my general understanding, technology librarians are not made of technology (I know, I was disappointed too). 

My preliminary search on job descriptions suggests that a technology librarian is closely related or interchangeable with automation librarian.  They are generally responsible for the automated systems, including designing, implementing, and integrating automation and communication systems.  They develop or oversee the implementation of policies and procedures for computer use, including training staff and evaluating their performance.  They may also collect and interpret statistics and reports. 

Technology librarians have to stay current on technological news!  How?  Well, my search has not led me that far yet.  As we know, technology evolves so frequently that I can only imagine a technology librarian having a network more complicated than the webs of all of the spiders hiding in my cupboard.   

A qualified technology librarian can communicate well and train others.  They have an understanding of library and technological jargon.  They are innovate and motivated to use technology to further library goals.  They have the ability to multitask with multiple priorities.  They have skills with a multitude of servers and software.

Reddit Users and Librarians - The Holy Grail

In general, I really love Reddit as a forum to stay up-to-date on certain topics.  Some of them pertain directly to our MLIS 7996 class, such as technology and libraries. 

This particular subreddit (linked below) is awesome because it acts as a blend of listservs, and informal news.  If you like Reddit, or plan on checking it out in the near future, you should consider subscribing to it!

Libraries and Librarians Subreddit

Joomla?

Having never used Joomla before, I was unsure of what to expect.  At best, I figured it would make a beautiful website with merely a click of the mouse...at worst, I figured I could turn my computer off and on again.

I ended up with something in-between my "best" and "worst" case scenarios.  It wasn't horrible, but I did not find the site to be intuitive at all which is how I work best.  It did offer nice tutorials, but I was annoyed by constantly having to go back to watch an older tutorial ("...if you haven't already done this, go back to 3.1...").

I think I was spoiled by taking a class last spring which allowed me to learn how to create websites using my own html and CSS.  It was nice not having to backtrack to figure out what codes I entered in wrong, but I missed the freedom that came with it.  

Unfortunately, I have been miserably ill for the last week and a half and did not have as much excess energy as I usually do to expend it on exploring this site.  I wish I was feeling more adventurous at the moment, and fully intend to revisit the site as soon as my medicine kicks in so I can explore it with new eyes.