RE: Setting up a library LAN
Louise Berry, Director (louise@darien.lib.ct.us)
Tue, 12 Aug 1997 14:53:36 -0400
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 1997 14:53:36 -0400
Message-Id: <01BCA730.19506820@4class.darien.lib.ct.us>
From: louise@darien.lib.ct.us (Louise Berry, Director)
To: Multiple recipients of list <conntech>
Subject: RE: Setting up a library LAN
Darien Library went from virtually nothing to a full LAN with Internet =
access on a 56K line in a little over a year. We used and are using =
Absolute Computer (Mike Vitiello, President (203) 333-2000) as our =
vendor and consultant. Mike was very helpful and even attended Board of =
Selectmen meeting etc to help generate support for the project. The =
public response to our project has been very positive and has generated =
support for other library activities such as increasing the number of =
Sundays we are open. We were able to hire an additional full time =
librarian this year. I would happy to discuss our project with you, and =
various staff members can answer your specific questions. Louise Berry =
Darien Library 203 655-2568 louise@darien.lib.ct.us
----------
From: ahern@russell.connix.com
Sent: Monday, August 11, 1997 3:37 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Setting up a library LAN
>
>Hi, I am Cathy Ahern, writing to you from the Russell Library in
>Middletown. After years of dealing with a variety of standalone =
computers
>with a wide array of CD towers, jukeboxes, and such, not to mention =
flip
>flopping of disks in and out of machines we are beginning to explore
>developing a LAN. What we think we want to do is to upgrade our =
exisiting
>computers to all run Windows 95,maybe eventually moving to Windows NT, =
add
>appropriate network cards and such, and provide to users a mix of =
CD-ROM
>and hopefully Internet resources. We may begin small, money as always =
being
>an issue, by linking no more than 7 or 8 computers.
>
>We have formed a Technology Task Force which is doing lots of reading =
and
>studying on LAN technology, and we do have some money in place for the
>wiring portion of this project. I am hoping that some of you could =
share
>your experiences in setting up a LAN from the ground up. I will list =
some
>specific questions, please respond to my email address, or I also =
welcome
>phone calls or in person meetings on this subject (anything to get this =
all
>to sink in!!).
>Here goes:
>
>-Did your library hire someone to come in to help and/or consult on the =
LAN
>design, and if so was this a person or firm that specialized in working
>with libraries? Are they still working with you? Does your library have =
a
>person or persons who work on the LAN and other technology issues
>exclusively?
>
>-How did you go about selecting products/sources to include on the LAN?
>Could you provide names of both adult and children's products that work
>well in this environment, and maybe even items that do not seem to do =
so
>well-crash time!
>
>-We would like to hear about LANs that include both CD-ROM and Internet
>based resouces, how this type of set up is put together, and how well =
it
>works. Any problems switching between products with this set up.
>
>-Of course security is an issue. Any insight on how you secure the LAN
>would be helpful.
>
>I know that this is a great deal to ask, please feel free to respond to =
any
>part of this that you can. An help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>Cathy Ahern
>Russell Library
>123 Broad St.
>Middletown, CT 06457
>860-347-2520
>Fax: 860-347-4048
>ahern@russell.connix.com