[OPLINTECH] wireless printing

[Chad Neeper]

  It's usually easy enough to use your favorite print management 
solution to handle printing on library-owned computers, regardless of 
whether or not the library-owned computer is a desktop/laptop 
wired/wireless. However, providing a printer for patrons who bring their 
own laptop to the library can be a bit of a pain. The problem is that 
there isn't really a universal print driver that can work on all 
wireless devices and all printers. There have been a few half-hearted 
attempts by various printer manufacturers, but not sufficient. There are 
some commercially available options, however, such as what Lynne 
mentioned about CASSIE/Librarica. If you usage is low, however, it can 
be very hard to justify the costs.

Until we can find a cost-effective (preferably free open source) method 
to print from any device to a wide selection of printers without needing 
to do any complex printer driver installation and configuration on the 
patron's wireless device, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of 
options. For a few of my libraries that provide printing for patrons 
with their own wireless devices, we try to provide an older, very 
industry standard printer that is likely to have drivers built into or 
readily available to the widest number of operating systems possible. I 
like to use older Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printers because they have 
been around forever and the drivers are often readily available in the 
base operating system without requiring additional downloads. Then we 
just have to provide the IP address and the printer's model to the 
customer and tell them "good luck". (The staff can't be placed into a 
position of trying to install or configure the drivers on patron 
devices.) Less than ideal.

If anyone has a better way, I'm all ears!

Also FWIW, Google seems to be working on their own version of 
cloud-based printing: 
http://code.google.com/apis/cloudprint/docs/overview.html


______________________________
*Chad Neeper*
Senior Systems Engineer

*Level 9 Networks*
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

/Full LAN/WAN consulting services -- Specialized in libraries and schools/

On 9/28/2010 2:07 PM, Sandy Thaxton wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> It was suggested that I post to this list, (Thanks Bob!) as I only
> received a couple responses on oplinlist.
>
> Here is my original post:
>
> May I ask how many of you have wireless printing available? How is it
> set up? Is it software? Anything you don't like about it?
> Thank you!
>
> Sandy Thaxton
> MLJ-Hardin County District Library
> Kenton, OH 43326
>
>
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