Around this time last winter, I was learning how to write code in the computer language, Python.  I thought that knowing how to code would make me a better librarian, and so I signed up for a grad class at the U of I.  For the record, I hadn’t cried because of a class since the fifth grade, when Mrs. Recinos gave me a “late” because I forgot to ask my parents to sign my assignment notebook.  But Readers, Python made me cry.

Eventually, though, I ended up with this cute little piece of code that can make collages out of pictures that you like:

My professor was really amazing, and in the end I actually did OK in the class.  Having a supportive, code-savvy fiance with a knack for soothing hysterical people also helped.  But librarians — even though I know I couldn’t crank out a Python program on the spot today if my life depended on it, I do know that I could sit down with a text book for a few hours and figure it out, and that I am also now equipped to have intelligent conversations with library IT staff who write code for the library.  It’s nice to know that I can participate in building our library’s tools.

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