Conclusion

You have completed a full systems librarianship pathway, from foundational concepts to production-style platform installs.

You began by studying the history and purpose of Unix/Linux, systems administration, and systems librarianship. Then you moved into project-oriented operations work: creating cloud virtual machines, learning the command line, editing files with nano, and documenting technical work with Git, GitHub, and Markdown.

From there, you developed practical Linux administration skills by searching and processing text, managing software, and applying command-line workflows to library-oriented tasks. You then built a complete LAMP stack by installing and configuring Apache, PHP, and MySQL.

With that stack in place, you built a basic integrated library system model from scratch: you worked with relational databases, created a bare bones OPAC, and created a cataloging module for data entry. After that, you expanded from custom code to major library web platforms by installing WordPress, applying the same setup logic to Omeka Classic, and completing a more specialized Koha installation process.

Taken together, this work mirrors real library systems practice: integrating multiple services, managing infrastructure, handling security tradeoffs, and maintaining documentation. You now have a strong base for deeper work in systems librarianship and related technical roles.

Even if your future role does not require daily command-line work, or if your environment is not Linux-based, the core principles from this book still apply: understanding systems dependencies, using structured troubleshooting, managing change carefully, and documenting decisions clearly. One of the most important outcomes from this work is learning to pay close attention to details. That habit will serve you well across systems, teams, and platforms.

As you finish, remember to stop and delete cloud resources that you no longer need to avoid ongoing costs. If you continue experimenting after this book, keep building in small steps and document each change as you go. To keep moving forward, explore other ILS and LSP platforms, follow implementation and migration case studies, and get involved with professional communities through associations, listservs, and user groups. Those networks will help you keep learning, compare practices, and connect with colleagues doing similar work.

—Sean Burns