Technology Makeover for the Future

From an Extreme Makeover Second Floor plan and the budget request process, here are some ideas for new furniture and such for our public computers:

Tables like these will allow patrons a small amount of privacy (no one looking at the computer screen right next to them) but yet maintain staff sight lines. These stations allow for cord and cable management as well.

For 15-minute kiosks, standing-height units such as these will allow patrons to check their e-mail or do other quick tasks, but not to sit down and get comfortable. Envisionware already has the capability of doing shorter sessions on specific computer stations.

Chairs like these would be easier to deal with than the current rolling/swivelling chairs. The current chairs break, lose wheels, squeak, and are otherwise not ideal. Simple chairs provide a simple solution to seating. Also, have only exactly as many chairs as workstations, to discourage dragging extra chairs around one workstation.

The Technology Makeover plan for the Second Floor of Main consolidates all of the public computers into the current Business Reference/Project LIFT area. This isolates the computers from the Reference and non-fiction areas, allowing for quiet research in those areas without the disturbance of the computers. Also, the printers and sign-in station would be located in the same place as the computer workstations. This would allow patrons who are unfamiliar with this location to find the printers and sign-in station easier.

Other technology ideas:

• Use Deep Freeze instead of PC Refresh to protect the public computers.
• Utilize thin clients for public workstations instead of full PC's (which have more things to break).
• Hire or designate an IT representative in each department and/or unit to troubleshoot computer issues without having to call IT Helpdesk. This staff member would have access to the passwords and keys needed to perform troubleshooting duties.

 Create your own free wiki!HelpPublic, Gold wiki Privacy Policy RSS