Technology Courses: My “Happy Surprise”

Posted February 5, 2018 by Megan Ondricek

In my last post I promised that I’d write more about my technology classes at Simmons. Like many students, I entered LIS 488, the technology core class, with some trepidation. After all, the technology components of library work had scared me away from the LIS degree for some time. I knew I wanted to obtain an education that would help me get a job somewhere in the library/archives/museum field, and I knew I wanted my degree to be flexible, adaptable. Museum studies seemed too specific and limiting, and I was afraid Library & Information Science would involve too much science and technology.

That was me before I took LIS 488. Now as someone who has finally gotten her feet wet in the world of IT, I find myself embracing a very different mindset. First of all, technology is just another skill, another subject that can be learned. Learning to code is a lot like learning a new language. You don’t have to possess any particular personality or disposition to understand technology. You don’t even have to be a left-brained, analytical person who loves math. In fact, my professor for Database Management has said that database design is equal parts science and art. Can you think of a more fascinating pairing?

I had categorized myself as someone who didn’t “get” technology, who didn’t speak computer, and who wasn’t technologically gifted. I thought it wasn’t my “thing.” Which is why LIS 488 came as such a happy surprise. The first realization was that I could do this. The second was that I actually enjoyed it. Now here I am, choosing a class like Database Management as an elective and embarking with not the least bit of fear. It may even be that my technology courses at Simmons turn out to be the most valuable and most enjoyable of my program. Technology skills and know-how are in demand almost everywhere you look, and you’d be hard pressed to find a career that doesn’t require them in some form. Technological abilities can open doors, and I for one am eager to develop as many as I can while I’m at Simmons. Approach your education with an open mind, and there’s no telling what happy surprises may come your way!