[OPLINTECH] ideas for timed access sought

[Mann, James H.]

GCPL uses PCReservation from Envisionware to time patron access to all
our public computers. Patrons authenticate (with their barcode) at a
Reservation Station and may chose either a 1 hour session or a 15-minute
Express session, and are limited (by barcode authentication) to 2
sessions per day. A variation on this theme is in our Local History Room
where patrons authenticate and log on to an available computer and are
limited to two 1 hour sessions. Staff may also make reservations from a
console at the public service desk. Our policies are in reality a bit
more complex in that we also offer short-term reservations when the wait
exceeds a certain time period, but these are details you work out after
you chose and test a product. While on either a Gates computer or a Gene
computer they have full access to all products. We do not require
reservations for children's computers and these computers, which have no
internet access, are often used for word processing, but by the same
token our 15-minuet Express computers are often used just for printing.
For patron authentication these products use SIP or a SQL database.
Other products in this market include:
SAM
Pharos
CybrayN
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Heaton [mailto:heatoncr at oplin.org] 
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 3:10 PM
To: OPLINTECH at oplin.org
Subject: [OPLINTECH] ideas for timed access sought
 
Hello, I'm the System Administrator for the Clermont Co. Public Library.
Our library is investigating ways to time a patrons use of a public
workstation.  At present, we are using a program (developed in - house)
that times a patrons use of the internet, but we would like to extend
this timing to all applicatons (games, Office applications, etc.)  I
would like to hear from other branches that are doing this, what kind of
problems you've encountered, what kind of software are you using, etc.
If you are doing this, what is your interface like?  Does a patron have
to login to the workstation to begin a session or does a session begin
automatically when an application is opened?  Any input will be
appreciated.
       Craig Heaton, CCPL System Administrator
        heatoncr at oplin.org
        (513) 732-9162 x-10
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