Librarians: To Code...

I have long been fascinated by computers. The time in my youth that I wasn't out practicing my pitching in the backyard, shooting hoops in the driveway, playing soccer with my sisters, or playing Nintendo, I often spent fiddling around on my parents' computer.

Those were the good old days when the only Windows version was 3.1, and most computers still ran DOS as a default operating system. For a lot of kids, computer gaming just wasn't worth the hassle, as every game had a different requirement for not just memory, but specific memory configurations. One game would require a certain amount of conventional (standard) memory and extended memory (or XMS), while another would lose the extended memory parameter and instead need expanded memory (or EMS). All these setups required the careful editing of the system start up and configuration files and adjustment of how certain pieces of hardware were loaded by the computer. Essentially, it was a giant invitation to completely and utterly crash my parents' hard drive in the interest of the latest Front Page Sports Baseball game, or Sid Meier's Colonization, before the advent of internet tech support or Geek Squad, and I loved it. To my parents' credit, if they ever knew what I was doing (and I suspect they probably did), they allowed me to experiment, fiddle, make my mistakes, and correct them, fostering a love and knowledge of computer technology from a fairly early age.

Unfortunately, the advent of operating systems such as Windows 95 ended a lot of the need for such types of rudimentary programming, and most of my computer experience since then has consisted of various types of troubleshooting, and building newer and better hardware systems to feed my gaming needs. As my Information Technology class has shown me this semester, however, I am a complete novice when it comes to programming and coding. With a fire having promptly been lit under my rear end, I am determined to make amends for years of neglect to my computer skills, but have been left a bit overwhelmed by the variety of coding languages out there to learn. Additionally, one may question how much coding knowledge a future librarian may need to have.

A recent article on Library Journal's Digital Shift website, entitled Cracking the Code: Librarians Acquiring Essential Coding Skills, addresses the topic of librarians, of all skill levels, wading into the programming world. As the article points out, the modern librarian uses computer technology almost constantly, whether in catalog or article databases, websites, multimedia presentations, or any of the countless other resources that the internet places at our disposal. A solid programming base can not only "make day-to-day tasks easier," through efficient use of coding, but can also help in making changes for the benefit of all potential library users. There are some interesting projects mentioned throughout the article, about librarians that are already putting their programming skills to work, as well as some fantastic resources for anyone looking to get some basic coding skills. As for me, I think it's time to get back to Code Academy.

For the record, my mother always told me I should have gone into computers as an undergrad. Mom, as usual, you were right.

Enis, Matt. 2013. Cracking the code: Librarians acquiring essential coding skills. The Digital Shift web page, Library Journal Website. http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/03/software/cracking-the-code/ (last accessed 4/9/13).