Well my first whingey post at my new job. I have to say that it is incredibly frustrating dealing with an IT department that do not want to let go of control.
I understand that security is of high importance. I also understand that some staff should not be trusted to install local software (I've seen cases of people screwing up their computers by installing things they shouldn't have, I also know that people are likely to install illegally acquired software if they can). These things aside, it is frustrating as heck to me that I am not allowed to even install an update to the library system.
Being part of a consortia, an upgrade to the library system's database means that the new software needs to be rolled out as close to the upgrade as possible. Using old software on a new database (with a potentially new data structure) is potentially dangerous to the database. Having to schedule someone from IT to physically come to each computer to upgrade it seems to me to be an incredible waste of time, especially as the library network is totally seperate to the staff network and the PCs are unable to have software installed remotely.
I think that I am going to have to demonstrate to our IT department that the library is not only forward-thinking in terms of computing, but also that we have a high level of skill in this area and certain people can be trusted to install software.
That being said, it is actually quite exciting for me. I think that the library here has never really shown what we are willing to do in this field. With my boss (who is new) and myself here, I really think we'll be demonstrating a much higher level of IT expertise to the IT department than ever before, and developing a higher level relationship will probably mean we'll be given more lee-way to do the kinds of things we should be doing.
As an aside, does anyone have any ideas on how to butter up a bunch of people to get them to do stuff? ;)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Job change - starting again
I've been away for a little while from my blog (mostly being a slacker). But I'm back!
I've recently changed jobs and said goodbye to Brimbank Libraries. I'm now working in technical services at the City of Yarra in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Yarra is a very small municipality with a very different demographic to Brimbank; lots of rich people and lots of not so rich people in public housing.
Currently I'm finding out about getting the following for our libraries:
Wireless internet with authentication. Yarra currently offers wireless for the public through wireless routers in the libraries - no authentication or any kind of limiting. I'm suprised we can afford it (must be a great deal).
A computer booking system for the computer. Yarra currently has no real system. They use an online database to book the computers, but there is no control software at all on the computers.
An events booking system. There is currently one in place but I'm implementing a new one (it was purchased before I started).
Plus all the usual stuff like building a relationship with IT (called Information Systems or IS just to confuse me), moving servers and dealing with the company that runs our ILS. More about the ILS another day though (Sirsi-Dynix's Symphony system).
Just thought I'd post an update for you all!
I've recently changed jobs and said goodbye to Brimbank Libraries. I'm now working in technical services at the City of Yarra in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Yarra is a very small municipality with a very different demographic to Brimbank; lots of rich people and lots of not so rich people in public housing.
Currently I'm finding out about getting the following for our libraries:
Wireless internet with authentication. Yarra currently offers wireless for the public through wireless routers in the libraries - no authentication or any kind of limiting. I'm suprised we can afford it (must be a great deal).
A computer booking system for the computer. Yarra currently has no real system. They use an online database to book the computers, but there is no control software at all on the computers.
An events booking system. There is currently one in place but I'm implementing a new one (it was purchased before I started).
Plus all the usual stuff like building a relationship with IT (called Information Systems or IS just to confuse me), moving servers and dealing with the company that runs our ILS. More about the ILS another day though (Sirsi-Dynix's Symphony system).
Just thought I'd post an update for you all!
