Library as Infrastructure

Sometimes sysadmin work can seem relatively thankless–you can be three layers deep in a log file, tracing why a resource-sharing request silently failed at 2am, even while you realize that nobody noticed. That’s not because the service doesn’t matter, but because when infrastructure works, it’s invisible. When it breaks, it’s a crisis. Just as most of us don’t regularly think of the pipes carrying water in and out of home unless something goes awry, digital infrastructure is invisible to most people most of the time. To use a tired phrase, that’s a feature, not a bug. ...

May 7, 2026 · Brandon Katzir