News about an ubuntu deployment at Howard County Library, MD

*Howard County Library Upgrades Computer System*

(Columbia, MD) - Each Howard County Library customer's
computer 
experience will soon be dramatically enhanced!  On 
September 21, /all 
/Howard County Library public access computers will be
upgraded to a new 
operating system called "Groovix." 
 
Customers will be able to:

    * /*Browse */the Internet using a choice of two
"best-in-class"
      web-browsers: Firefox or Opera.
    * /*Work */using word processing, spreadsheet,
presentation and
      database software from OpenOffice (open, modify, print
and save
      Microsoft Office files and store them in their
"native" formats).
    * /*Message */using GAIM, a cross-platform instant
messaging product
      which lets IM users sign in with AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and
other IM
      accounts.
    * /*Play */and listen to audio via Real Player (bring
headphones or
      buy a pair from the library for $1).
    * /*Access */files from the popular USB "thumb
drives" (bring one or
      buy one from the library for $20). Fill up one with
free e-books
      or full-text magazine and newspaper articles from the
Library's
      web site.


In addition to these new features, all branches will offer
more new 
monitors, mice and keyboards (including two large text
keyboards per 
branch), more memory (512 MB of Ram), on-screen text
enlargement, and 
updated, secure virus protection systems.

Howard County Library is a pioneer in Maryland in using Open
Source 
software on public and staff machines. Because Open Source
software is 
available free or at a very modest cost, the Library can
provide public 
computers at a fraction of  the cost using comparable 
commercially-available software.

-- 
Amy Begg De Groff
Library Technology Services Department Head
Howard County Library 
www.hclibrary.org 

voice: 410-313-7985 
cell: 443-474-0741 
fax: 410-313-7864
e-mail: degroffahclibrary.org
IM: abdegroff

_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Hi Amy,

I am a great supporter of open source.

Just one question though.  Although you save money on
software, do you
have to pay more for technical expertise/consultancy.

One thing about closed source and/or Microsoft software is
that it does
make things easy.

Whats the background to your decision to go open-source?

Thanks,

David.

David Kane
WIT Libraries
http://library.wit.ie/
++353.51302838

_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Nope, I don't pay more for consulting fees.  Our needs are
very 
straightforward  --  and the vendor OpenSenseSolutions
provides support 
at a reasonable rate.  

We seek open source solutions because we find they use less
memory and 
that the hardware requirements are not demanding -- as a
result, I plan 
to turn over my machines every 5-7 years rather than more
frequently as 
other organizations may choose to do so.


Amy

Amy Begg De Groff
Library Technology Services Department Head
Howard County Library 
www.hclibrary.org 

voice: 410-313-7985 
cell: 443-474-0741 
fax: 410-313-7864
e-mail: degroffahclibrary.org
IM: abdegroff



Ranked number one in the nation among the great public
library systems
by Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) 2005

Howard County Library is committed to using open source
solutions whenever possible. 



David Kane wrote:

>Hi Amy,
>
>I am a great supporter of open source.
>
>Just one question though.  Although you save money on
software, do you
>have to pay more for technical expertise/consultancy.
>
>One thing about closed source and/or Microsoft software
is that it does
>make things easy.
>
>Whats the background to your decision to go open-source?
>
>Thanks,
>
>David.
>
>David Kane
>WIT Libraries
>http://library.wit.ie/
>++353.51302838
>
>_______________________________________________
>Web4lib mailing list
>Web4libwebjunction.org
>http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
>  
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Hi Amy,

I am a great supporter of open source.

Just one question though.  Although you save money on
software, do you
have to pay more for technical expertise/consultancy.

One thing about closed source and/or Microsoft software is
that it does
make things easy.

Whats the background to your decision to go open-source?

Thanks,

David.

David Kane
WIT Libraries
http://library.wit.ie/
++353.51302838

_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Nope, I don't pay more for consulting fees.  Our needs are
very 
straightforward  --  and the vendor OpenSenseSolutions
provides support 
at a reasonable rate.  

We seek open source solutions because we find they use less
memory and 
that the hardware requirements are not demanding -- as a
result, I plan 
to turn over my machines every 5-7 years rather than more
frequently as 
other organizations may choose to do so.


Amy

Amy Begg De Groff
Library Technology Services Department Head
Howard County Library 
www.hclibrary.org 

voice: 410-313-7985 
cell: 443-474-0741 
fax: 410-313-7864
e-mail: degroffahclibrary.org
IM: abdegroff



Ranked number one in the nation among the great public
library systems
by Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) 2005

Howard County Library is committed to using open source
solutions whenever possible. 



David Kane wrote:

>Hi Amy,
>
>I am a great supporter of open source.
>
>Just one question though.  Although you save money on
software, do you
>have to pay more for technical expertise/consultancy.
>
>One thing about closed source and/or Microsoft software
is that it does
>make things easy.
>
>Whats the background to your decision to go open-source?
>
>Thanks,
>
>David.
>
>David Kane
>WIT Libraries
>http://library.wit.ie/
>++353.51302838
>
>_______________________________________________
>Web4lib mailing list
>Web4libwebjunction.org
>http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
>  
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/