2004

June 4, 2002

The meeting was called to order by Chair Ellen Firer at 9:35 a.m. with approximately 22 people in attendance. Our agenda included Windows XP and security issues, and a continuation of the division vs. committee discussion, with Mamie Eng of Henry Waldinger Memorial Library sharing her expertise with us. Thanks to Philip Boccia for providing bagels, etc. for the meeting.

Phil Boccia of Long Beach spoke about Public Web Browser, a web browser interface that restricts options available to patrons who are using the Internet. It allows you to lock down functions that may interfere with regular operation. For example, patrons cannot move toolbars around or shut down. Rocco Cassano uses it for ALISweb stations to set a time-out, so that after 2-4 minutes of non-use they go back to “Begin” screen. Public Web Browser requires Explorer 5.5 or above to operate. The first version is still available as freeware. Cost is $100 per building site license and it’s compatible with all versions of Windows.

James Hutter mentioned some helpful websites that he will post on our group website.

Other security options: Centurion and Deep Freeze don’t restrict the user, but as soon as the PC is rebooted the settings go back to the original configuration. Clean Slate has come out with an XP version but there may be some problems with it. Carol Santillo commented that a combination of different security software is always necessary because no one security program does everything. Rocco used to have Fortress for URL restriction on his database machines, now Public Web Browser does the same thing. Philip recommends not putting more than two browsers on a PC to avoid freezing and similar problems.

Ellen Firer made us aware of the fact that setting different time restrictions for residents’ and nonresidents’ Internet-usage may not be allowed by 90.3.

Mamie Eng spoke about the hardware requirements for Windows XP—it requires at least 128 MB but 256 MB is better. There is a web site available to answer questions about your particular hardware.

Most other peripheral software will have to be upgraded: Photoshop will run; Smartterm versions 10 and 11 will work fine; Cyberpatrol will only work with some modification; the Corporate edition of Norton works best with XP; Mitchell Repair Net will not work with XP—contact tech support for a fill that they will email to you. PC World (Jan. 02) has a list of upgrades you’ll need. You can always contact the software vendor for specific information.

Brenda Giovanneillo/NLS sent out a memo last night regarding O/S requirements for the new ALIS system, outlining the reasons why Windows XP is recommended. Diane Miller said that ALIS will offer training on Windows XP, since it’s being recommended.

Carol Santillo addressed the problem of upgrading with leased machines. An upgrade may be offered by your vendor or you can install your own software and upgrade on your own. XP can also be modified to look the same as Windows 98.

Alan Katz suggested that your computer will run faster if you delete your old OS, install Windows 2000, then install XP, then install your other software programs.

Rocco doesn’t give administrative rights to staff so that he will be the only one installing new software on all the library’s computers.

Mamie Eng spoke from experience about the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a division.

Advantages: Having a real place in the association for members to join (you cannot join a committee); A larger budget for sponsoring programs at conferences and bringing in experts from outside.

Disadvantages: More responsibilities, like putting together a mission statement, setting up a constitution within the first year, having to bring money into the association; Having to sustain the organizational structure of a division, like having enough members so that officers are not the same people every year by default; Attendance at executive board meeting is necessary as either a committee or division, but there is more of a commitment as a division; Attendees can get civil service CEU credits for meetings, even as a committee.

Ellen suggested that we could become part of an existing division, but most people felt we are not ready to do that yet.

A unanimous vote resulted in our deciding to remain a committee. Ellen reminded us that come January, there will have to be a new committee chair.

Mamie Eng has a request from SCLA for our committee to co-sponsor a program on blackboard technology with them at next year’s Long Island Library Conference. Blackboard is an electronic-learning software that allows colleges, universities and other commercial education providers to bring courses, community and campus services on line. It provides faculty and students with an interactive e-learning environment. If anyone is interested, please contact Ellen Druda, media librarian at Half Hollow Hills Community Library, edruda@suffolk.lib.ny.us, for further details.

Rocco Cassano informed us that “Live Librarian” will be staffed through this summer with the same hours.

A discussion of databases, specifically usage statistics, was suggested for October’s committee meeting.

Diane Miller shared some ALIS news: Purchase of SAM was approved. The first year will be free, after which the charge will be $1250 per year for maintenance; A new policy for overdue notices was agreed upon, 1st notice after 18 days, no second notice and a bill after 35 days; Renewal limits were set at one renewal for print and sound and no renewals for videos. Individual libraries can set their own policies; October 23rd 2003 has been set as the target date for the new catalog system.

The next Computer and Technology Committee meeting will be held on September 19th at 9:30 am at East Meadow Public Library. Our topic will be wireless technology.

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April 16, 2002

Meeting was called to order by Chair Ellen Firer at 9:35 a.m.

Today's agenda covered recent library conferences, a discussion of the benefits of forming an NCLA division, and electronic resource handouts from Min Liu of LILRC.

Approximately 22 people were in attendance.

Lois Lovisolo spoke about Greg Notess' Search Engine Showdown. New search engines of note include Wisenut (Korean & Japanese feature), Alltheweb and Teoma.

Joan Casson Sauer attended a workshop on full-text journals and the tools used to find them. Two commercial solutions were covered: Serial Solutions and TDNet. The open-source 'Jake' tool was also mentioned, as was the home-grown Dowling product created by Laura Pope Robbins et al. Byrant Library does subscribe to the netJournal Directory, updated 3 times a year, with added listing of regional and foreign newspapers in the back. Print subscription allows electronic access to netJournal for free. Overall, Joan felt TDNet was more an academic solution; Jake was sometimes inconsistent in entries and not always current, and Serial Solutions a bit confusing.

Rocco Cassano suggested Books and Periodicals Online as another print source for finding full-text journals. He went on to report about Ariel - a tool for document delivery currently used in the academic environment. Ariel is software that enables libraries to quickly share journal articles, diagrams, pictures, etc. It requires an internet computer and a scanner (Canon Canoscan 1220 M recommended). When contacted by another library, you scan and email/send the information to their Ariel workstation. Better than email, because you can send files that are larger than most email accounts are set up to send/receive, Ariel makes for easy transfer of all file sizes. It can be used to fulfill OCLC interloans as well. Pricing starts at $1000. As a group purchase, it would range between $500-600. There was a question concerning the interlibrary loan of electronic documents and licensing agreements.

Several Committee members attended Managing and Licensing Electronic Resources, sponsored by LILRC. They reported it was very detailed and hands-on; one of the presenters, a former entertainment lawyer, went through a fictitious contract clause by clause. Questions of archiving, non-selection of materials, and acting as the copyright police came up. As a member of a consortium, many libraries do not even get a copy of the contract to examine, so this was eye opening for all in attendance.

SAM, the patron internet access/printing management software solution showcased by ALIS for possible implementation was discussed in the context of a recent Member Library Directors meeting at which 90.3 access was discussed. In particular, sign-up procedures might have to be modified since library cards may not be required under 90.3 regulations for access, and libraries may no longer use patron delinquencies to deny access to electronic information (electronic resources are considered 'reference material' - no different from print sources). Rocco pointed out that SAM allows the setting up a 'guest group' as a workaround for this. There was much discussion on the various policies currently enacted in libraries regarding electronic access.

Min Liu from LILRC spoke about the various offerings under the Group Purchasing Program. Britannica now offers a student version and a school version in addition to the regular encyclopedia. Pricing ranges from .26-.36-.40 per version (per 7% of the user population). There will be a training session on the new interface in the fall.

Ebsco now offers the Nation archives, and Alternative Press Watch. SBRnet is a small vendor with unique (sports marketing) content. There will be upcoming training on Ebsco. EmpireLink now offers the Gale Business and Consumer Resource Center as well as Infotrac Junior. See what is available at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/emplink

The Serials Solutions product is available through WALDO/LILRC. Accunet AP Photo Archives is also available from LILRC through WALDO. [note: COLA just sent out a subscription notice on this] Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated and Silver Platter CD-ROMS are also available. For extra measure, Min told us they order 3M Tattletapes as well.

There is an upcoming LILRC-subsidized OCLC Institute on Digitization Standards April 19 at SUNY Farmingdale. New Horizons training coupons will be available soon. Min shared with us a source for non-profits to purchase software: www.techsoup.com.

The issue of workstation security came up. Sandi Silkes of Plainview announced they post information on their website concerning virus alerts and hoaxes. Many people voiced interest in speaking about website 'disclaimers' as a future topic. Carol Santillo of Massapequa announced there was a deal on purchasing XP compatible version of Fortres or Clean Slate by June 28. Phil Boccia of Long Beach uses Deep Freeze, but with the amount of things people were downloading, he's gone back to using Fortres as well. He announced the Gates computers have a very nice 'backdoor' security program they will make available as a separate product to libraries. Called Policy Editor (or Poledit under NT 4.0), it replaces a whole spectrum of registry hacks and tweaks. It may be available for XP as well.

Westbury is using Clean Slate, plus TweakUI. Hicksville uses Poledit and Clean Slate. Mary Morrisey says when something goes wrong on a public workstation, she unlocks it, fixes it, and locks back up again, and has noticed that it does indeed make a difference the order in which you lock things back up in. Go in order, she says!

Ellen Firer suggested we set Windows XP and security issues as the topic for our next meeting. She then discussed the advantages and disadvantages of turning our committee into a division of NCLA. A Division requires an official board and constitution, representation at NCLA Executive monthly meetings and a budget. It validates us, it has more 'clout,' and opens up funding. It also requires a programming effort, and the raising of funds other than from membership dues. As a committee, we have enjoyed the looser structure of changing membership.

We are aware our topic areas cover a wide spectrum, and that we attract a wide variety of staff members. Many people voiced the sentiment there was no other division that met their specific workplace needs other than this one. They said the information shared here was invaluable and important. The downside of remaining a committee is the constant need for volunteers to chair, take minutes, attend NCLA Executive Board meetings, and help with coffee. Ellen said she'd like to see our Committee sponsor, or co-sponsor a program for next years' LI Library Conference. Robyn Klose asked if we could ask someone to come speak to us about the benefits, responsibilities and obligations of becoming a Division, and Ellen said she'd ask at the next NCLA Exec Board meeting. We decided to continue this discussion at a future meeting.

Diane Miller announced ALIS will sponsor a 'Coordinator 201' workshop, more advanced than '101.' Topic will cover networking equipment. To be held several dates, including April 17 and April 29.

The meeting was adjourned approximately 12 noon. The next meeting will be held June 4.

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January 9, 2002

Ellen Firer called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m.

The CTC Committee has been in existence for one year. Ellen discussed the possibility of our becoming a 'Division,' which would require Board structure, and bylaws. Currently we operate on a 'roundtable' basis, and she suggested we may want to retain that. However, for the next year, she has agreed to remain as Chair, with Genellen McGrath as Recording Secretary, Pattie Muntz as publicity, and Sandi Silkes as Refreshment Chair. Ellen asked for a volunteer to attend the upcoming NCLA Executive Board meeting and give a report on our Committee.

Robyn Klose asked for any suggestions for NLS training sessions.

Today's topic was Software Licensing, and these minutes will reflect the sum total of information presented at this meeting, the end of the November 28, 2001 meeting, plus a variety of other sources (various ALIS and NLS memos, as well as information garnered from vendor's websites and CTC members). Please note all errors belong solely to Genellen McGrath, who apologizes in advance for them.

Software Licensing

Software manufacturers require that their products are used legitimately, and they ensure this through licensing. Licenses give the end-users the legal right to run software. Not all software has to be licensed, but there are probably few libraries that intend to run a LAN based solely on 'Open Source,' 'Shareware,' or 'Freeware' software, which would be the topic for another meeting!

Licensing agreements are complicated. This information hopefully will make it easier to understand what libraries need to do and what options exist.

In short, every piece of software on the computers in your library must have a license, from the operating system and the applications used to connect to DRA, to the software used by every user - staff or public.

It's not likely that a public library will experience a software audit, but it's important to note that organizations like the Business Software Alliance, and the Software Publishers Association, are funded by software manufacturers to investigate possible violations of software licensing agreements. NLS has received correspondence from the BSA last year, and both NLS and ALIS sent out memos on this topic.

Types and Forms of Licenses

There are many reasons why licensing is complicated. There are several different types and forms of licenses. Licensing must be updated as software products are upgraded. It is quite difficult to track licensing through the life cycle of a PC. Leasing PCs may further complicate matters.

The several types of licenses are listed below:

single-user
named
concurrent
workstation
enterprise-wide

There are several forms a license can take, from shrink-wrapped cards, contract-like documents, built into the software itself, or linked to a vendor's website. In addition, a particular vendor may have its own vernacular for licensing agreements.

It's difficult to track licensing through the life-cycle of a computer, from the initial purchase, or lease, to its 'redeployment' in the building, or its return to the leasing company.

How to Track Licenses

Obviously, the best time to start tracking software licensing is when a computer is initially purchased, or leased. However, over time, applications are purchased to meet organizational needs, and it's often hard to remember if new licensing is needed, or if the installation is 'covered' under previous volume licenses.

The best documentation to prove compliance with proper licensing would be the product specific license itself (which can take many forms), approved Purchase Orders, invoices, vendor/reseller reports and cancelled checks.

To avoid licensing violations, or overpurchasing of licenses, the following steps are recommended:

1. Inventory each piece of software on each computer in the library.
2. Delete (uninstall) any applications no longer needed/used on that computer.
3. Determine the licensing conditions of each piece of software and its origin
(e.g.: is it covered under a site license? Did you need to purchase actual
multiple copies of the software from a retail outlet?)
4. Delete any software that has been installed in violation of the software license.
5. Purchase authorized versions of any needed software.
6. [Optional] Ask for the creation of a policy that requires all employees to receive
signed authorization before installing software.
7. Keep a list of all authorized software.

Microsoft Licensing

With respect to Microsoft products (since they own the lion's share of operating system software), a new PC purchased with a preinstalled OS should have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker on the side. According to Dell, the license for the OS listed on that sticker pertains to that computer, and that computer, only. These COA stickers have not quite achieved the status of mattress tags, but it is inadvisable to remove them, since they do prove proper licensing for that computer.

If Microsoft software is preinstalled on a computer, the COA will appear on the CD wallet, manual, or the product jewel case. The End User License Agreement (EULA) may actually be within the software product. You may also receive a Certificate of Authenticity for the actual media/manuals, and it may be listed on your invoice as well.

Currently, Microsoft uses these types of licensing programs:

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer - installed on a new computer)
Full Packaged Product (Retail)
Open License 6.0*
Select License*
Enterprise Agreement*
Academic & Government Licensing Products

* These licensing programs are still available until July 31, 2002, at which time it looks like Microsoft is pushing the purchase of the Software Assurance program.

Read all about the wonderful world of Microsoft Licenses at: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/ There's even a Licensing 101 tutorial at: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/overview.asp

Microsoft's Software Assurance program, covers either individual licenses or an entire organization's software assets and allows for the right to upgrade to the latest versions of MS products released during the term of the Software Assurance agreement. It replaces the previous one-time upgrade products (version, product, competitive, etc.) For more details, see: http://www.Microsoft.com/licensing

A list of Microsoft Licensing programs can be found at http://www.Microsoft.com/piracy/licensguide

If you build your own computers and need to purchase Microsoft operating systems and software, use the following as a guideline to the various types of licensing agreements:

Less than 5 Retail Product Licensing (buy one copy of each software title needed)

5 or more Open License 6.0 (determine the number of software products you
wish to license, place an order with a reseller, and obtain the licenses
needed. Media is ordered directly from Microsoft. Terms of the
license are in the Open License Agreement, which is viewable from a
special MS website) Can take two forms:
Open Business - allows a combination of MS software
products to qualify for the 5-license minimum
Open Volume - for large initial purchases in one product
category (i.e. OS, word processing application, etc).

250 or more Select License

250 or more Enterprise Agreement

If you are: Academic & Government Products includes:
Academic Volume Licensing Programs:
Academic Open License
Academic Select License
Campus Agreement
School Agreement
Government Open Licensing Programs (which includes):
Public Libraries
Eligible products include:
Academic Editions products
Academic Open
Academic Select

Keep in mind several of these programs will be discontinued after July 31, 2002.

TIP: If you purchased computers from a local vendor (not a large OEM like Dell, Compaq, Gateway), do insist on receiving the actual licensing documentation plus the original software on authenticated media (not 'burned' CDs).

TIP: LeeAnn Moltzen, Freeport Public Library, prefers to purchase certain application software through Dell. Apparently they connect her to a special "Open Charity" salesperson, and the pricing she has obtained beats Microsoft's Open Licensing prices for that product.

Remember, when upgrading operating systems and applications, the licenses must be upgraded as well. You cannot purchase one copy of the upgrade and install it on several machines. Be sure to call several of the vendors listed at the end of this report to obtain media & licensing quotes for upgrades. Inquire about quantity discounts and/or educational/governmental pricing.

Best Ways to Purchase Software & Licensing

Obviously, libraries are looking for the best prices on software & licensing. Some software/hardware manufacturers view libraries as Educational institutions, and make that special pricing available. Other manufacturers view libraries as local governmental institutions and make that pricing available. Libraries may also qualify for special corporate or enterprise pricing, when no educational or governmental pricing exists for that product. Overturn every stone and look under every rock when making purchases!

Not all software manufacturers offer special pricing for multiple, educational, governmental, or corporate purchases. Sometimes only multiple and corporate pricing is available. Case in point: Symantec Norton Systemworks (includes Norton Anti-virus), which can be purchased in 5- and 10- retail packs at CompUSA, or in a Corporate edition (media pack plus paper licenses) through a CompUSA Corporate & Government Salesperson. Other resellers that carry Symantec products should be able to offer this type of purchasing as well.

Adobe does not provide special pricing for libraries, but special bundles of Adobe products may be purchased at great discount from any one of the major catalog/online software resellers. If you're fond of paperwork and writing grant proposals, work your way through the Gifts in Kind website and see what other manufacturers besides Adobe make their products available at extremely low cost to not-for-profit institutions (see: http://www.GiftsInKind.org ).

Many of the Computer Technology Committee members report some resellers (CompUSA, Staples, etc.) may put a product on sale periodically, and it may be more economical to purchase multiple copies that way. Tip from Rocco Cassano, East Meadow: Buying shrink-wrapped software (Retail version) is where the prices can differ by as much as $50 per copy. Microsoft, Symantec, Esker, and Macromedia all offer discounted pricing to libraries if you order through an authorized vendor (like Software Spectrum)
Shop around.

It is important to note that many 'in the know' tech people prefer to purchase the full system version of software media in order to more fully control what gets installed, or re-installed on a PC. They prefer not to use the OEM 'restore' version that came with the PC, or the upgrade version so they can streamline installation when computers are reformatted (upgrade versions of software require the installation of the previous full version first, unless you specifically call and ask for an 'unlock code' if it's available for that software). It used to be possible to request the full system disk instead of the OEM 'restore' from manufacturers like Dell, but recent changes require the separate purchase of the 'media kit' at a very nominal price ($20 or so) when purchasing their systems.

What about Leased Computers?

For those who lease computers, a variety of licensing schemes might be in place. It's possible to lease the computers with pre-installed software (operating system and/or office software), and the library is given the Retail Product Licensing documentation, which must be returned at the end of the lease. Or the library may choose to lease only the computers with preinstalled operating systems, and choose to purchase the application software in appropriate amounts. This way, when the computers are returned at the end of the lease, the licensing for the application software is retained, and may be installed on the next batch of leased computers, or on computers the library has purchased. Be certain to assess the needs of the institution when leasing, so that the proper software packages are purchased at the outset, and costly individual add-ons are avoided (case in point: Small Business versus Professional edition of MS Office).

Summary

Being 'properly licensed' is both a responsibility and a process that is well-integrated into the IT function of every library. Developing a strategy for hardware and software purchases and upgrades is essential to ensure costs are kept down, and compliance is kept high. It is important to take into account your particular technological environment when developing such a strategy…do you have adequate personnel resources for time-intensive activities such as purchasing, deploying, installing, repairing, troubleshooting, and upgrading computers and applications? Remember, shopping around 'costs;' it may be more time-effective to develop a relationship with just one or two vendors in order to save valuable time. A library with limited financial and personnel resources might want to consider a combination of leased and purchased products for achieving the best possible technological environment for staff and public. Good Luck!

Purchasing Sources

Here is a list of some reputable sources for purchasing hardware, software, and licensing:

Atlas International Ltd.
516-239-1854

Bellmore Business Systems
Artie Maas
516-785-0466

CompUSA
Bruce Kirschner
1-631-366-6102

Dell Computer Corp (also handles licensing, peripherals, software)
1-800-981-3355 X40490
Jay Tunnell, Local Gov't

MoreDirect.com
Andrew Mussalli
1-718-352-0222

ProVantage.com (good for Microsoft Works)
Bruce Yarbrough
byarbrough@provantage.com (they take Library P.O.'s)
1-800-336-4466 X 127
Software Spectrum
Care Team SK, Government or East
1-800-862-8434

Spectrum Systems, Inc.
Jason Wallace
703-591-7400 X 216 (for Esker Smartterm purchases @ Educational/Gov't Pricing)
Staples

And here are some recent price ranges for software/license purchases by libraries:

Adobe Acrobat 5.0 $249 (Adobe doesn't offer library discounts)

Adobe Acrobat 5.0 Upgrade $99 per copy

Esker Smartterm Essentials v.10 $108 per copy (License only, no media)

Esker Smartterm Essentials v.10 $112.50 per copy (License with media)

Esker Smartterm Essentials v.10 $62.50 per copy (Upgrade with media - submit proof of previous version)

Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 2002 $49.95 per copy (for less than 5 copies)

Symantec Norton Systemworks $75.50 each (based on a pack of 10)
2002

Symantec Norton Antivirus 2002 $19.95 Corporate Edition 7.6 (35 copies)
Upgrade $21.55 for NAV Corporate Ed 7.6 media kit

Windows XP Professional $21.25 per disk (Media - Academic price - only need one copy)

Windows XP Professional $ 75.15 (Academic price; No discount for full
Upgrade version)
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November 28, 2001

Ellen Firer called the meeting to order at 1:35 pm.

Today's program was 'Smartterm Tips & Tricks' presented by Rocco Cassano at the meeting room of the East Meadow Public Library.

Rocco distributed a handout covering the purchasing and licensing and simple installation of Smartterm, but the focus of the handout and the workshop was how to customize Smartterm for ease of use.

To keep the screen 'clean,' he recommended eliminating the toolbar and the status bar. He pointed out disabling the Workbook View would eliminate the tabs at the bottom of the screen (indicating which sessions are open on a machine), and suggested Session Limits be set for each workstation to only one concurrent host session. This would eliminate the possibility that multiple logins on the same machine could overrun the allowable concurrent logins for the entire library.

ALIS Coordinators might find enabling History helpful, but otherwise, disable that under Emulation in Properties (uncheck 'copy screen before clearing').

Adjusting the color scheme of Smartterm may help staff members under certain lighting conditions. Less confusion at the end of the day will result by configuring the Shutdown tab, eliminating all those shutdown options.

Function keys (those labeled 'F1, F2, F3, etc') may be programmed to save typing keystrokes. These function keys can be 'mapped' from the Tools, Keyboard Maps menu. Name the map, set it as the default key map, and save the mapped keys.

Remember every change you make to a Smartterm session will prompt the program to inquire if these changes should be saved.

Rocco also pointed out that sound, or .wav files can be added to the C: \Windows\Media folder and set as the 'default beep' in the Control Panel, Sounds window to help keep staff members alert and awake!

Other tips were mentioned by attendees: the ability to create more than one keymap, the ability to create 'macros' to automate certain DRA functions (like the 'Limit' command in Gateway), copying the Smartterm cd into a folder on the workstation for easy reinstall, the need to manually remove some Smartterm files after performing an uninstall (Smartterm supposedly has a patch).

Other topics covered in this meeting were:

Software licensing and its impact on budgets (will be a focus of a future meeting).

Live Librarian initiative-'chat reference' to be rolled out by East Meadow in early 2002.

E-mail forms on web pages - create a form and send to Robyn Klose at NLS-they will support that.

Access Science remote barcode authentication - NLS is working on this.

New Grolier links for remote authentication should have been distributed.

Bigchalk - will create barcode authentication, but has indicated libraries may post the username and password on web pages until they get to us all.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4 pm. The next meeting will be held January 8 (Ellen will check dates)

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October 29, 2001

Ellen Firer called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m. Twenty-one people were in attendance.

Computer Training was the predetermined topic for today. Ellen started by asking representatives from each library to
indicate how they conduct training-do they offer 'hands-on,' is there a specific training area set aside, how are training sessions publicized, etc.

Rocco Cassano from East Meadow spoke about the wireless training lab he set up in their Meeting Room. He felt the
benefits were worth the expense. They do offer the Boces classes, and offer classes in Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced
Internet Searching in addition.

Sandi Silkes from Plainview described the evolution from 'training corridor' to a dedicated training room, complete with
whiteboard, that can handle four patrons at a time. They prepare a handout of the classes offered, and a library clerk handles making appointments. They maintain a database of which patrons have taken which courses, and use postcards to send reminders of upcoming classes. The varying skill level of the attendees makes for interesting sessions-they have sessions on mice and keyboards! They have learned to allow patrons to come in and practice what they have learned, and not to include lots of websites in the sessions. Sandi described the various handouts they have prepared, which include a glossary of terms related to the internet (basic navigational skills & aides such as Stop, Refresh, Home, Bookmarks, Printing). They include an AOL sheet in the folder, search tips, the syntax of an URL, how to determine site reliability, and examples of search engines versus site searching (Yahoo vs. Mayo Clinic). She indicated later in the discussion that every course has a pre-written script that is followed, which is tested and altered to reflect the changes that are made to websites and electronic databases.

Plainview also conducts training sessions on the subscription databases such as InfoTrac and ProQuest. They point out the differences and similarities, which enables patrons to apply the commonalties to other databases. This is especially important since no library can conduct sessions on every database. Sandi strongly recommended limiting such sessions to 6 people.
Laura, from Long Beach, commented on a study which indicated training was most successful when no more than two people shared a computer.

Barbara Thomas of Oceanside also hands out a glossary, bibliography, and a PowerPoint printout of the class sessions
with spaces for notes.

Ellen Firer commented that there is a tendency to try and cover too much in a training session. She has found that keeping
sessions between 1 and 1 1/2 hours is best. She agrees with Sandi not to make the training session a 'tour of the Internet,
unless that IS the aim of the session. At Syosset, they train on email, web, and mouse skills, and she prepares review sheets
that summarize what was covered in the class.

Bryant training covers the basics such as mouse training, hotmail and email basics. They use a professional trainer, and
charge $10 for beginning sessions, which are held twice weekly for a 3/4 hours. The fee increases to $15 for sessions on
Word and Excel. They conduct free sessions on the Library's Home Page. They can handle 8 patrons in the lab, and they
use public access workstations for one-hour, one-on-one sessions conducted by library volunteers. They have had no-show
problems.

Lee Ann Moltzen from Freeport says they offer 2-hour classes. They cover Basic Internet (mouse, Browser parts, Links,
URLs and where to type them, URL syntax, searching) using Netscape Navigator, which is the standard used at Freeport.
Intermediate Internet covers email and more searching. She will allow time at the end of each session for independent
searching and individual assistance. They also offer a follow-up class.

The question of training for non-residents was asked. Plainview limits to residents, and Bryant will take non-residents if there
is room.

Ellen asked about library staffing for training, or coverage during training sessions. Plainview employs 6-7 full time and 6-10
part time reference staff, plus they have a computer lab assistant. Four or five librarians can conduct the Internet Fundamental
classes on Mon-Wed mornings. Evening classes are taught by the Reference Manager. A part-timer conducts the advanced
search engine class taught on Thursday evenings. The lab assistant is a civil service title, and she is one of the library's
webmasters. She also teaches Word, email basics, mouse & keyboard classes.
Ellen also asked about how the various libraries handled the 'needy public;' those patrons who could not or would not
attend training sessions and were expressing difficulty using the library's computers.

Laura at Long Beach indicated they have a computer lab assistant who works Mon-Thurs 3-7 and Saturday 11-3.
Appointments can be made with her. Other librarians will help patrons when she's not there, but perhaps not at the
same level of service.

Ellen indicated that at Syosset, the retired former Head of Technical Services has come back to work in the computer lab.

Joan Casson Sauer from Bryant indicated it is in their microcomputer usage policy that patrons are expected to have some
minimal computer basics in order to use the equipment. Once you start providing this kind of assistance, it mushrooms, and
becomes a logistical and staffing nightmare.

Others mentioned hiring students on college work-study programs. Several people mentioned concern about offering a
consistent level of help.

Ellen asked the question: Do computer rooms really require professional staffing/reference desks? There were various
answers. When word processing applications are separate, it's somewhat easier to use non-professionals to assist.
Many people indicated that teaching patrons how to use the expensive online resources was a prime responsibility of
reference staff. It was pointed out that in many cases, training on these types of resources must start with staff!

Joan Casson Sauer from Bryant teaches professional staff to use the electronic resources. It's mandatory. All librarians
must attend, and be familiar with using the databases from home. Rocco teaches advanced internet, covering the library's
webpage and ALISWeb - which he indicates thrills patrons to no end when they discover they can reserve and renew items
from a computer at home. Barbara Thomas from Oceanside reiterated that patrons love learning about ALISWeb and their
library accounts. Other databases covered in training sessions include Infotrac, RefUSA, how to get the CEO of a company,
how to narrow search results down from thousands.

How do you publicize training sessions?

The library newsletter was the most-cited response. Some libraries put information regarding sessions on their Webpages.
Same goes for publicizing a new database. Ellen Firer indicated she'd written a special electronic newsletter at Plainview, that alternated with the regular newsletter.

Pattie Muntz from Westbury pointed out that vendors can often supply training/trainers. FIS's John Carino is willing to do public sessions. In many cases, vendor reps are more than willing to make library visits and train staff.

Marie, from Peninsula, indicated advertising library classes on the home page of the Adult Ed program at the local school is
an effective means of promotion.

Do libraries maintain statistics on training sessions, and what are they used for? Responses varied. Many libraries collect
workstation usage statistics, but do not record WHAT is used. Class attendance is used to evaluate effectiveness of sessions,
but not disseminated for privacy issues. Many databases maintain usage statistics. Irwin Fox indicated that Baldwin does
maintain one workstation out of 9 that is dedicated to database access.

How important are the basics? Very important! said Barbara, Ellen and Patty. It is vital that patrons be able to use a mouse
before advancing to other classes. Ellen wrote a 15 minute session on mousing alone. Patty said they use the game
'solitaire' to help acquaint patrons with mouse techniques. Bryant has included a 'mousercize' tutorial link on their website
to address this need.

Do any libraries go out into the community and train?

[Unnamed participant] A two-sided flyer is sent to every student at the local school, adult learning center, and parochial
school in the district of this library advertising classes. Can make appointments by calling the high school.

Bryant's Cathy Mealing takes a PowerPoint presentation 'on the road,' to the schools, adult ed classes, business groups,
and Chamber of Commerce meetings to get the word out. They conduct special classes for the staff at schools. Although
they own their own projector/laptop combo, this equipment is available for borrowing from NLS.

Do you get kids at these sessions?

Rarely, was the general response. Some libraries work with the YA librarians to help reach out to that clientele. Kathy
Overton from Baldwin offers YA classes for grades 7-9. She can accommodate 20 kids, and has had good attendance.
Rocco discussed East Meadow's Homework Helper - covering the databases and NOT the search engines. His is a
hands-on portable training center with 10 laptops for one-shot training. Rocco indicated East Meadow will be implementing
'Live Help' Reference Chat Services, using the same software Suffolk uses. They will be able to 'push' pages to the patron.
This service will be available from Monday through Friday 9 pm to 11 pm, and for several hours on Sundays. He hopes to
have the roll-out in January.

It was also mentioned that NLS is working on a new Children's Page. Mamie Eng from Valley Stream indicated that with
state funding, they were able to provide 'net instruction and interactive web pages for children and parents, PTA programs,
all with the purpose of providing better ideas for using the Internet. Lee Ann Moltzen from Freeport indicated they have offered
YA classes. In one library, school librarians and new teachers come to the library to get oriented to what is available. Uniondale conducts Teacher Teas for the same purpose.

Has the interest in training decreased?

Plainview indicated interest is still high. Oceanside indicated there is a 2-4 month wait for classes.

What about…'perennial' patrons and training?

Every library has found solutions to handle this. Some libraries keep track of who registers, and do not allow one patron
to sign up for multiple classes at different levels. Some libraries maintain policies requiring a week's separation between
repeating classes, and enforce taking classes in order from Beginning to Advanced.

Other training topics?
Subject oriented 'demo' sessions covering health sites, travel sites
Recommended links sessions
Search engine sessions
Comprehensive Internet classes (How to use the Browser, difference between an index
and a search engine, select sites such as Librarian's Index to the Internet,
Google)

What about staff and PC training?

Admittedly, it is difficult to provide enough pc training to all staff that works with ALIS DRA, for a variety of reasons.
Some libraries send staff members to New Horizons sessions through coupons from LILRC, and others conduct
in-house sessions. Alan Katz is available from ALIS to conduct a variety of sessions at NLS and at member libraries.
Robyn Klose would be interested in a list of possible training topics from library members.

Other topics discussed:

T1 line protection devices - Diane Miller has been investigating making a pricing deal with a vendor of these devices on
our behalf. Details to follow. Also a good idea to invest in APC UPS battery back-up units - these provide network cable
protection as well if you use the RJ45 jack.

Omni Form - a very inexpensive way to allow online library card applications, etc. Joan Casson Sauer at Bryant was very
interested in this.

NLS to be offering 'Taming the Wild Web' sessions again.

Grolier will be offering a secure page for remote access to all Grolier databases. They will not be supporting the original
scripts any longer.

Reminder: NCLA dinner will be held December 5.

Next meeting: SmartTerm tips and tricks to be held at the East Meadow Library. Rocco will let Ellen know what
dates are available.

Meeting was adjourned approximately 12:15 pm.

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July 10, 2001

Ellen Firer called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m.

The issues of Internet Usage Policies and Computer Training were the predetermined topics for today. Many libraries' policies were available as handouts; the following highlights are from our discussion.

Internet Usage Policies

· General Question: Do you limit your Internet Access to residents?

Freeport - preference given to residents
Westbury - non-Westbury resident
Merrick - PCs in computer room limited to residents; PCs in Reference area are available to all
Laura - some reserved for residents
Bryant - Express PCs - for walk-ins and non-residents
Hewlett-Woodmere - equal access - much usage from non-residents. 1hr limit. 2 PCs available for non-resident Internet usage. 1/3 of the word processing PCs available for non-residents.
Rockville Centre - residents given priority; 1 PC availablefor non-residents
Plainview - 1/9 for non-residents with residents having priority

· General Question: Do you assume/require computer familiarity or provide assistance?

Westbury - many patrons request/demand assistance
Jericho - general computer knowledge is assumed; signage and
usage policy reinforce staff limitations
Peninsula - usage policy allows for staff assistance in 'starting up'

· General Poll: How many libraries require signed computer policies?

Yes -- 17
No -- 8

· Can you describe your Internet Usage Policies? With regard to email, down-loading, security, etc? (Want to mention your pc security software as well?) We'll get to porn later!

Massapequa - Two-hour limit per session. Filters in Children's Room, parent's signature required. Adults must be accompanied by a child (!) while on a computer in the Children's Room (total of 10 available). Disabled and blocked America Online Instant Messenger. Using Cyber Patrol and Fortres ('do not run' AIM.exe and ysmgr.exe) to disallow both the IM program as well as the new java applet form of Instant Messenger. Does not use Outlook.

Peninsula - Card punch indicates agreement with internet policies. Non-residents sign as well. netlog worm - spread by opening email. Many worms are Outlook-based.

Valley Stream - many out-of-district and foreign users of Internet (they've counted 20% of usage is out-of-state!). They keep a separate registration card and hold licenses for these patrons. Provides equal access. Does not offer email. Very restrictive policy. Privileges cut for non-adherence. Will not allow downloading - no security on machines. Village wants filters.

Hempstead - does not offer email.

Garden City - does not offer internet access.

Long Beach - community includes a lot of seasonal workers-Irish and
Hispanic. They offer access, and provide email, so employees
can keep in touch with family. Changeover from Fortres to Deep
Freeze (a software solution) and Win Select (Hyper Technol-ogies)????

Bryant - takes the approach whatever the patrons wants to do with their allotted time is permissible.

Freeport - will not change settings in Netscape to allow access to POP mail, but web-based email is OK. No chatrooms allowed in Children's Room. Uses Clean Slate and Deep Freeze (by Win Select?). Removes Fortres from training PCs but has Centurion.

Oceanside - wipes out patron's work on word processing computers-
Philosophy - the library is NOT a storage facility.

Long Beach - changing to Deep Freeze

Syosset - Policies different from Adult to Children's

Plainview - many 'regular' non-residents. Much impatience!

Oyster Bay indicated their attorneys (they have one Board Member who is
lawyer in addition to their legal counsel) have cited the rulings of the
Supreme Court, and have indicated the drafting of Internet Usage Policies
are a lot of work and careful wording.

· So What About Porn? Is it a problem? How do you cope?

NYS Statute prohibiting the display of offensive material in public places has given many libraries a 'ledge' to stand on. Some libraries keep copies of the statute at each public workstation; some indicate this law with signage. Oceanside and Freeport have added mention in their usage policy. Some libraries outright prohibit the viewing of pornography, and will ask a patron to leave. Another library indicated the library's attorney will not endorse any type of statement regarding prohibiting the viewing of certain materials, yet printing the materials is another matter entirely. Peninsula and Massapequa prohibit the printing of such materials (this author would like to know if her notes were correct in this regard?).

· Quick Poll: How many libraries have installed privacy screens?

Answer: 8

There was a difference of opinion as to the efficacy of such screens. Some said it merely encourages the viewing of all material. Persons with bifocal glasses have difficulty reading the monitors of recessed PCs. Others brought up the problems of policing 'last viewed' materials - if patrons didn't close out their windows before leaving the workstation. There is also patron-to-patron policing going on in some libraries. Someone reported the New York Pubic Library
does not monitor what patrons view - and will ask patrons to 'remove' but won't go further. It was pointed out a library's policy should reflect the community.

· General Comments from Libraries regarding the porn issue:

Bellmore- issues with parents. They take the 'thank you for informing me' approach. They have asked patrons to leave the computer room.

Long Beach - patrons tend to policy each other. They make copies of the penal code available, and library signage increased public awareness of policy.

Bryant - revised their Maintenance of Public Order at Library Facilities policy in 1995 to address the issue of porn.

Plainview - found the location of the workstations contributed greatly to what patrons considered acceptable to view. Less abuse once the workstations were moved into the main reference area.

Peninsula - pointed out that some patrons get 'kicks' from this type of internet usage, and it is a very small minority of overall users. Library attorney will not support taking action against a patron regarding this issue.

Long Beach - will ban certain patrons if they have a history of violating the policy. Board will not allow filtering.

· General Comments from Libraries regarding filtering:

LeeAnn Moltzen from Freeport pointed out Library Boards may be more open to filtering practices now that certain sources of funding are tied into the issue (i.e. E-Rate).

· Quick poll revealed that 6 libraries filter in the Children's Room only. Four libraries do not offer internet access in the Children's Room. One library does not offer internet access at all.

· What about policies for your staff and computer usage?

Several libraries had separate policies regarding staff usage of computers. Some policies came about as a result of the library offering email to their staff after registering the library's domain name. Other policies came about as a result of Napster/EBay usage. Still others had policies in place disallowing the installation of any programs outside what the library provides. Oceanside's policy restricts the usage of library email accounts to library use. In many libraries, staff are encourage to attend to 'personal computing' needs on their breaks.

NOTE: NLS wants to maintain a centralized file of all library policies, Fran Stricoff said. So if your library revises a policy, please be sure to pass it on to NLS.

· General Comments on Patron Management Issues:

SAM product for internet sign-up and time management. We would all
like to see a demonstration of this, and will request Robyn Klose to
investigate.

Bill Kelly program - in use by a number of libraries.

Computer Training

· General Question: Can your patrons receive training on-the-spot? If not, how can they get training? On Subscription Databases? Mouse? Internet? Applications?

Statement - We can't be uniform - we have different climates, clients, and 'business.' Still, the variations are interesting:

Bellmore - by appointment - 1/2 hour training sessions. Will instruct on how to use the subscription databases.
Garden City - by appointment - can receive 1 hour sessions (will do apps)
Laura - by appointment- 1/2 hour sessions with a person hired especially for training. Available Monday- Thursday 11 am - 7 pm, Saturday 11-3 (will do applications)
Rockville Center - offers Computer Kindergarden classes monthly - on-the-spot training is difficult - recommends appointments
Bryant - uses volunteer trainers
Freeport - by appointment - 1/2 hour sessions (mousing, Internet). Job Center employees also assist with training. Philosophy - typewriter familiarity is assumed; word processing and internet blurs the lines. Question of available staff: 2 librarians and one aide at the Reference Desk with subscriptions to more than 30 databases actually requires 3-4 librarians at a time.
Manhasset - no appointment necessary; done on as-needed basis. Have a person for application training; librarians can do Net. Always suggest patron sign up for 'one of our classes.' Librarians do instruct on subscription databases.
Bellmore - Subscription databases promoted heavily at reference. If YA's call on the phone, staff will do phone help.

· But What About Applications?

Pattie (Westbury? Bellmore?) - They removed Access and Excel because patrons were requiring too much assistance.
Syosset - uses a separate computer usage policy to stipulate what assistance is covered on which computers
Peninsula - Bill Gates grant provided maps, trips, encarta training of librarians. Now those librarians are available for special help.

· General Poll: Do you separate the functions of your public access computers, or do you combine word processing, subscription database, and Net?

Multi-use PCs: 9 libraries
Separate function PCs: 18 libraries

· Comments?

Peninsula - It's a printing issue. Internet and database PCs are
using a network printer. Applications use a separate printer.

· Who do you use to train?

Baldwin uses Hofstra students. Uniondale also employs Hofstra work-study students. Other sources of student aides/interns are Briarcliff and New York Institute of Technology. Many libraries use the Boces trainers.

· Other issues:

Ellen re-introduced Robyn Klose, Manager of Electronic Resources & Services at NLS. Robyn is to function as the NLS liaison to the Cola committee, to be a resource person regarding the subscription databases, to manage the building's internal and external network, training, other issues, etc. etc.!

Access Science subscriptions start in August, and Steve Bregman will send out the URLs and other information. The Long Island Union List of Serials was in a transitional phase last week. Jerry Arthus at LILRC is the contact person for LIULS.

If you have remote access issues with the Health Reference Center Academic (and EmpireLink offering), call Joyce Rambo at Empire Link. 1-877-277-0250. She will give you the email address of Matthew Reid at Gale who can reconfigure your library's account to use barcode authentication remotely. We all had these pages created by NLS, but Gale changed something that caused these pages not to work.

Since we do not have a regular membership, the 'hospitality' aspect of our meetings could use some volunteerism. Lee Ann Moltzen offered to be our 'Hospitality Chair' for the next meeting. Thank you Lee Ann!

Atlantic Scientific (800-544-4737) is the company that manufacturers T1 protection devices from lightning strikes and other electrical malfunctions. Oyster Bay and Massapequa have already purchased these devices ($89.00, 5 year warranty), but there is a question about how to properly ground these units. Ann O'Brian at Oyster Bay installed this device herself. No one device can assure 100% coverage. Glen Cove reported lightning through glass friend RS232 connections in their facility. We will continue to research and report on protective measures for our computing environment.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:40. Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 at 9:30 a.m. at NLS.

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May 22, 2001

Ellen Firer opened the meeting at 9:30 am. She announced the appointment of Robyn Klose, formerly of the Oceanside Library, to the position of Electronic Resources Manager for Nassau Library System. Congratulations Robyn!

Computer hardware was the focus of this month's meeting. Those in attendance were quickly queried as to the provision of Apple Macintosh computers-a handful of libraries do offer both the IBM and the Mac platform, with the most commonly-cited reason being in harmony with the local public schools.

Rocco Cassano described East Meadow's laptop leasing arrangement. Currently Department Heads are outfitted with Dell notebooks, as is the Portable Training Center (which uses wireless networking) on a 36 month lease. Dell has a State & Local Gov't division-the website for configuring such systems is http://www.dell.com/slg

Carol Santillo recounted her leasing versus purchasing decision for Massapequa. Leasing works better for her budget - with a lower yearly cost, providing the option to renew, extend or purchase after 3 years. Adding peripherals such as DVD players was not a problem. She has had tremendous success with Bellmore Typewriter, who services their office machines. Their experience with IBM service was not exemplary, and Bellmore now offers Premio (sp?) computers, built by a New Jersey-based company.

It's important to examine end of lease purchase option terms; fair market value versus a predetermined dollar amount.

Ellie Arnost described the Dell leasing plan at Hewlett-Woodmere - $700 per month to lease 11 Dell Dimension 450s, with a fair market value buyout plan. Onsite maintenance is excellent, replacements are provided as a swap out for broken units. Components can be added, and are de-installed at the end of the lease. Built-in operating costs, and the maintenance aspect are the two top reasons cited for choosing the leasing option.

Rocco Cassano gave a 'Short Course in Computer Configuration' accompanied by printouts of three different Gateway configurations, suitable for various areas in the library. He prefers not to include the bundled software that comes with an OEM purchase-libraries qualify for academic license pricing from resellers-and so he adds licenses as he needs them under the Open License agreement. P.S. Rocco likes the Intel NIC better than 3Com, he says more than 256 MB of RAM on a Win 98 system is a waste, and he said something about internal zips that this minute-taker cannot decipher!

Highlights of the 'Short Course:'
· RAM now commonly comes in speed of 133 Mhz, and is of the SDRAM type. Putting 133 Mhz RAM onto a motherboard that supports 100 Mhz will force the RAM to operate at the slower speed. The newest RAM is called RDR RAM.
· Hard Drives - The rpm of the hard drive affects the data rate speed as well. HDDs (as they are known) are usually 5400 rpm unless specified. Rocco recommends the 7200 rpm IDE HDD. SCSI HDDs are faster still, with an rpm of 10,000.

· CD-ROM - Rocco recommends a standard CD-ROM, and has purchased DVD only for the Phone Disk. He recommends a CD-R (CD-ROM rewriteable) only if you think you need it. He would outfit a computer used primarily for graphics with a CD-R and an internal zip drive, as well as a higher-end video card, (look for the most RAM on the card), and a 17" to 19"monitor.

· Other Random Rocco notes: He prefers Norton antivirus to MacAfee, and he purchase the Gateway 'E' series.

Sandi Sykes from Plainview, with reminiscences from Ellen Firer, recounted their Gateway nightmare. Issues of hard drive failure and continual freezing were recounted. They had major conflicts with WinSelect and use Centurion now to secure public workstations. They now outsource computer maintenance to 3rd Alternative. Most attendees agreed that Internet Explorer (made by Microsoft) was less likely than Netscape (NOT made by Microsoft) to freeze in Windows (made by Microsoft!).

[Bryant Library spokesperson] typically purchases smaller quantities of same-model pcs to reduce the 'lemon-pc' incidence. [Dell] gives a one year guarantee on parts and labor, with 2 years on labor. They are upgrading the public PAC computers to Windows 2000. She noted that Dell builds in shipping to the state contract price. They have not paid shipping charges when purchasing from Global Computer Supplies, and if they need to make a return, it's only a short drive away.

Discussion then turned to printers. Check out the NYS OGS for state contract vendors of the various manufacturers-at {http://www.nys.org/ogs] Many local vendors such as Global and CompUSA will meet State contract prices.

The Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 1100 is notorious for grabbing whole packs of paper into its mechanism, probably due to the fact that, after a time, the rollers become slick with paper residue and cannot pick up single sheets. Go to their website and try to find how to order the Free Paper Separators that should solve this problem. Manhasset reported they've replaced the rollers on these printers, and that Hewlett Packard knows this is quite an issue with these printers.

The Hewlett Packard LaserJet 6PSE was a great, now discontinued, printer. The HP 2100 is supposed to be its replacement. Bryant purchased a 5 year warranty on their 5L, 6L and 1100 printers for $50. Carol Santillo broke from the pack by purchasing an IBM Inforpint 20 for $1200 - a high-end network printer. The Children's Room at Massapequa uses a Lexmark Opta S (in the $500-600 range) on the honor system. Sysoset uses an HP color inkjet networked with both computers (Children's Room?). They also provide a scanner and color printing - on the honor system. Freeport disables color printing on HP DJ printers, and is thinking of going to laserjets. Other comments: Al Bellows at Glen Cove likes the 'Print Preview' feature of Netscape because it helps patrons to estimate paper usage. He's not pleased with the way Mitchell RepairNet prints, however. They use a HP DeskJet with their Mitchell, and also have a Minolta PW 18. Many libraries seem interested in a cost-recovery printing solution.

After an extensive printer survey*, a quick poll of the group was taken regarding the provision of ALISWEB inside the library.

Other miscellaneous comments included mention of www.giftsinkind.org as a source for low-cost applications such as Adobe software. Go to the site, print out the application (a 'grant' really), submit, and receive deep discounts on software--ideal for libraries because of their not-for-profit status and public-service mission. LILRC's upcoming networking workshop was also brought up.

The topic of the next meeting will be twofold: POLICIES - for public computers, and TRAINING CONCERNS. Please bring copies of your policies. The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

The next meeting will be help July 10, 2001 at 9:30 am.

*I'd like to distribute this information with this month's minutes, but many of the notes taken are now indecipherable! Perhaps all who attended could email gmcgrath@jericholibrary.org with their name, library, contact information, printer configuration, paper & pricing policies, and this will be posted to the NCLA Tech group when completed.

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April 4, 2001

Attendance: To follow

The meeting was called to order at 9:35 am.

Today’s focus was online subscription databases.

ALIS Cola, now simply called ‘Cola’ has made a webpage available listing all the Cola offerings with contact and statistics information.  It can be found at:

            http://www.nassaulibrary.org/bellmore/vendors.htm

Current database trials through Cola: Learn Test, Magill’s, and Country Watch.

Min Liu from LILRC was invited today to speak about databases.  She is the person designated at LILRC to coordinate all online subscription database information and offerings.  LILRC handles registration for WALDO offerings as well.  She outlined all the issues involved in offering trials, disseminating information, and coordinating orders.  LILRC asks for a 60 day trial from vendors to ensure adequate trial time once the information has been given to the member libraries.  Unlike Cola, LILRC does not send out another signature form upon database renewal, with an invoice to follow.  Instead, the individual libraries will receive a LILRC invoice for the database.  LILRC and Cola try not to duplicate offerings.  The LILRC newsletter is a great source of information regarding online subscription databases.

Min also discussed the Jake project – and open source collaboration, web-based, whereby the aggregators and sources of full-text journals can be determined merely by typing in the journal name.  See  http://jake.med.yale.edu/      Articles on Jake were handed out, from Serials Review, volume 26, no. 4, 2000, by Daniel Chudnov.

Current LILRC offerings include:

Country Watch (May – July 31, 2002), made available through regional funding at a 40-

60% discount from the Premium service.

Ebsco – through Empire Link – 6/1/2001 – 6/30/2002

Britannica (July 1 – June 30, 2002), based on a 26 cent per 5% of population served

formula

Other LILRC news:

May 2, 2002 - OCLC Web Express Demonstration - Farmingdale Public Library

            software that links databases with one search interface

May 4, 2002 – Blackboard program – software for online teaching – SUNY Farmingdale

May 9, 2001 – LILRC’s Union List

May 17 – Statewide Forum in Albany regarding NOVEL – each library system required

to send 2 people

May 23, 2001 – Getting the Most out of First Search

June 6-June 8, 2001 - OCLC Institute course – Create a New Reference Librarian

June 13, 2001 – Britannica Online demonstration – Farmingdale

Theresa Cahill spoke about the Computer Technology Committee’s Website:

http://www.lilrc.org/~ncla1/ctc.html

This is linked to the Cola Committee.  Suggestions were made as to what we would like to see on this website: Links to LILRC database page, minutes of meetings, link to Empire Link, current database trials (without username and password information!).

If you have any suggestions, please email to gcplts2@lilrc.org

Several librarians reported on the Computers in Libraries conference, which took place in March at the Washington Hilton & Towers Hotel in Washington, D.C.  Many librarians look to this conference as a good place to speak with vendors about enhancements and new products.  It’s also a good place to learn about new technology for offering electronic resources on public workstations.  Some of the highlights were: Eliminating the Jargon- Evaluation the Language of Your Library Website, Wireless networks.

It was noted the National Online Conference and the Computer Expo will both be held at about the same time in New York City.  Future destination for a bus trip?

The meeting was dismissed at 12 noon.  The next meeting will be held at the Nassau Library System at 9:30 am on Tuesday, May 22, 2001.  Software and Hardware purchasing will be the topic.

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March 7, 2001

Attended: To be added

Introductions were made for new members. There was discussion regarding the frequency and format of the Committee's meetings. It was decided that meetings would be held monthly, and would focus on an area of concern determined by consensus. If pertinent, speakers or vendors would be brought in. Meetings are open to any library or System employee. The Committee would consider sponsoring a program at a future Long Island Library Conference.

The NCLA-Tech mailing list is growing. This is to be a business-only mailing list—no jokes or spam please! Publicity for this Committee was also discussed. We need to identify the deadlines for inclusion in the NCLA newsletter. Ellen inquired as to the timely receipt of the flyers distributed to individual libraries by NLS delivery. We could ask Brenda to post notifications by DRA mail, as well as post dates of meetings on the NCLA webpage (www.lilrc.org/~ncla1). Ellen indicated she would be attending the NCLA Executive Board and would announce the date of the next meeting for posting in their minutes. We need a volunteer to create flyers.

There was discussion on possible future meeting topics. Scheduled for next month is Managing Online Resources. Specifically, we:

-need a list of the contact people at each of the vendors

-need to know which consortia database was purchased from

-need to know how to obtain usage statistics

-need to know remote authentication availability

so

-bring your database information to next meeting!

Rocco - brought up concept of posting a webpage for internal use - information compiled in a table, which displays in chart format. He will bring more information to the next meeting.

Additional areas of interest with specific issues:

Discussion of Hardware:

-who do you purchase your hardware from?

-who repairs you computers?

-do you purchase service contracts?

-do you lease your computers?

-comparison of costs, issues of lease versus buy

-purchasing of computer supplies (toner cartridges!)

-logistics of maintaining computers (inventory, documentation, supply cabinet)

Discussion of Printing Issues

Discussion of Policies (for public computers)

Discussion of Training Issues

Ellen will be attending an Executive Board Meeting, and will find out what our available funds are.

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