[OPLINTECH] [OPLINLIST] Coupon Printing.

[joe]

Coupon printing is an interesting idea as something to offer the public.

The main problem I see is most of the coupon sites, in addition to 
requiring that you download and install their printing programs, will 
also only allow you to print the coupons somewhere from one the three 
times per coupon per computer. Also, these coupon printing options only 
work in Windows.

The only way that I can see that you could offer this as a service is if 
you could find a way to use virtualbox or vmware to run a virtual 
machine of windows that resets itself completely between patrons, or 
randomly spoofs mac addresses between patrons, or whatever means the 
program and website uses to tell that you have already printed the 
coupons.. in addition to all of this, these technical work arounds, if 
they physically worked, would probably go against any terms of usage 
that the site has..

So the short answer is for us, we do not allow this type of coupon 
printing, as we do not allow the public to install any additional 
software on our computers.

I wish we could offer/allow coupon printing, but I don't see how to 
offer it in such a manner that it would be repeatable for each patron 
without copious amounts of staff intervention..

Does anybody have any other thoughts here?

Thanks.

Joe


Christopher J Brose wrote:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> How many libraries are dealing with the issue of coupon printing, and 
> the problems associated with this? For example; Kroger, PNG saver, 
> Fisher Price all want their own downloaded and installed programs, 
> used to print barcode coupons, placed on each workstation.
>
> Allowing patrons to download and install these programs is out of the 
> question for me, installing and keeping them up to date on each 
> workstation is time consuming- which I have done, or creating an 
> “Admin” login to be used by reference just to install the associated 
> barcode printing software and use one time- which I am still trying to 
> convince myself is a good idea but haven’t.
>
> I know coupons are not books, or research, but in these economic times 
> I feel patrons should have the ability to print coupons if needed. 
> Which leads me to this email to start a discussion on how other 
> libraries are dealing with this.
>
> Thanks in advance everyone. J
>
> Christopher J. Brose
>
> Head of Computer Services
>
> Tiffin-Seneca Public Library
>
> Fax: 419-447-3045
>
> Phone: 419-447-3751
>
> Cell: 419-618-8206
>
> brosech at oplin.org
>
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-- 
Joseph Knueven
Director
Germantown Public Library
51 N. Plum St.
Germantown, OH 45327
937-696-9998x10
knuevejo at oplin.org