Dear all
Many thanks to everyone who replied. I had various requests to
summarise, so here goes... (and this is a LONG message - sorry)
A lot of people mentioned all the problems and downsides - but on the
whole the most negative reply came from someone who had only thought
about such a facility but hadn't gone ahead and opened one, so I guess
the answer is that it isn't easy, but it isn't as bad as you might
think! I will be going ahead, if I can get funds.
I have freely edited email responses and notes I made from phone calls,
so apologies to anyone who feels I have mangled their point beyond
recognition.
ACCESS
24 hour access by PIN
CCTV
Security guard checking library membership cards
Swipe cards
Paxton Access, Lewes, 01273 480291 sell swipe cards.
PRINTERS/PAPER
Problems - paper being stolen, backlogs running up on the printers which
are out of paper. People causing havoc when they try to add paper or
change an ink cartridge.
Solutions -charging mechanism, like
photocopying cards, reinforce messages to make sure you bring your own
paper
Hewlett Packard Laserjet 5P with
an EMOS card unit attached so that the same card pays for
photocopying and printing.
Short of them sending their material remotely to a
printer they can't touch (picking up their stuff the next day if library
is unstaffed) I don't know how you can stop them fiddling.
SOFTWARE/HARDWARE SECURITY
Nothing can beat having a real person in
the room as often a possible not just from a training point of view but
also security.
The problem with people using PCs (especially doctors) is that they
think they know it all and also know how to change settings etc. - what
they do in reality is not use the terminals properly and mess them up
for everyone else. The Junior doctors bought a terminal for the Mess
with 24 hour access
- it lasted 4 months!!!
The PCs in are bolted to the desks in big metal cages -
but did the maintenance staff remember to leave enough space on the
table for the printer too? Of course not...
Yes, there are (expensive) desks where the processor is bolted
into the desk in a metal case and the screen is locked under the
table top and viewed through glass. Lemark Office Equipment 0114 288
2710/4335.
The art seems to be in your IT department setting up the PCs so that
most of their settings can't be changed by the users. IT have
progressively clamped down on possibilities for fiddling with things.
Never underestimate the damage even a non-malicious user can
inadvertently do to an inadequately protected software setup!
Caged desks are sold by LSC library supplies (01933) 445300
Research Machines (RM) http://www.rm.com/ have some secure boxes for
putting servers and things in plus other security stuff (they supply
schools!):
I spend a good part of my working day sorting out computer / printer
problems... I suppose the answer is for the
users to have only dumb terminals and everything else to be on a server.
Invest in a decent server and put all your applications
(software, training materials, web stuff) and keep it physically
well away
from the room! Win 2000 also has significantly good tools for
rebuilding
systems after crashing.
And there are still some seriously incompetent doctors who mess it up
anyway
- but they can do it while we're here, as well as if we're at home.
One issue that's started to happen is people not staying to watch that
the
logging off process has really happened.
TRAINING
To the training part - I've put up a page of good links for users on the
Intranet... writing a sort of worksheet to help people try out sites
IS IT WORTH IT?
I know this all sounds very negative but for those people who use the
system properly, we have had nothing but praise and gratitude.
Sara Stock
Library Services Manager
North Essex Hospitals' Library & Information Service
Colchester General Hospital
Turner Road
Colchester
Essex
CO4 5JL
T: (01206) 742146 or 742396
F: (01206) 742107
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