About Me

My name is Joe Kirsch, and this is my web site.

I have been working in the Public Libraries sector for more than 16 years, and as a Systems/Technical librarian for over a decade.

Integrated library systems (ILS) administrator:

• +6 years on BookPlus (Geac)
• +4 years on Erudite (UKS)
• Currently (from 2008) Unicorn WorkFlows (SirsiDynix) 

Involved in three migration projects to new integrated library systems in the past 11 years.

Completed the National Diploma in Library and Information Services in 1998 and attended a few courses in ICT. Most of my skills are self-taught as the profession I am in is specialized and is changing too rapidly for the academic world to keep up. Unfortunately, formal credentials at most academic institutions in South Africa are not catering for the systems/technical librarianship profession. Most courses in ICT are within 5 years useless in today’s high-tech environment e.g., Windows XP has been replaced by Visa, Windows 7 is soon to be released.

Almost exclusively self-taught, which means I learned from seeing something I liked on the web or reading magazines/periodicals and then see how can it benefit the profession that I am in. Technology challenges system librarians to be perpetual learners and adapting, particularly with the Internet and ICT being at the forefront of today's society and such an integral part of what we do. 

Behind every well functioning Library System is an Systems Librarian!

Date: 06 December 2008 

                 Curriculum Vitae / Resume                                          My Rig