[OPLINTECH] Experiences with TechSoup

[Joe Knueven]

I learned to love TechSoup in the position I had prior to my current job. 

At the time ordinary governmental public libraries were able to access 
Microsoft software through techsoup without having 501c3 status.  501c3 
was needed to acquire any of the non-Microsoft software that they 
carried.  The pricing was substantially less than any educational 
pricing I could find at the time. 

In addition to certain limitations in how frequently you could access 
their program, the main limitation that I found was that the software 
had to be used/available for public use in one form or another.  I found 
after asking that this could include server software for backend servers 
that public would access in one form or another. 

The only downside I found had to do with updates.  For example, in my 
previous library I had public computers that had a mix of Windows 2000 
and XP, and I used Tech Soup to standardize around XP.  The discs I 
received from Tech Soup had the original Windows XP on them (ie no 
service pack updates) so I had to download and install service packs one 
and two.  

At the time this inconvenience was worth the savings over educational 
pricing. 

Joseph Knueven
Director
Germantown Public Library
51 N. Plum St.
Germantown, OH 45327
937-855-4001



JKENZIG wrote:
>
> Can anyone out there who has used it give me your experiences 
> purchasing software with TechSoup for libraries? It appears that any 
> library that is a 501C(3) can use  the services after properly applying.
>
> _http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/?cg=lnav_
>
> Thanks,
>
> ***Jim Kenzig*
> Network Manager
> Cuyahoga County Public Library
>
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