Like Louise's library, we recently invested in these same
headphones,
but we purchased enough to assign one set to every computer.
We've also
marked them with a "metallic silver" sharpie.
Since we've opted to keep
them at each computer, we've zip-tied them to other cables
on the
computer - not perfect security but so far it does seem to
discourage
theft.
We opted to place the headphones at every computer for
several reasons:
1. Although a good number of students brought their own
earbuds or
headphones, we had a large number who asked to borrow a
set.
2. The ones we had were cheap and most of them didn't
work any
more.
3. Our IT office ordered computers with headphone jacks
only in the
back, so students were constantly moving the CPUs to access
the jack and
in the process, unplugging other cables. That meant we were
regularly
hearing "this computer doesn't work."
4. Compounding that problem, the students' own sets
& the few we
still had available, had fairly short cords which also
resulted in CPUs
pulled forward so the cords would reach.
The headphones we added have 9 ft. long cords so we haven't
had any "CPU
creep" since they were installed. Summer term is a
small test group, but
so far the students seem to be very happy with them. Several
students
have stopped by to visit and use the library even though
they're not
taking courses this summer and they made a point of speaking
to me to
tell me how much they like the new headphones. Fall will be
our big test
for how successful they will be.
Lynea Anderman
Lynea Anderman
Director of the Library
Pennsylvania Institute of Technology
800 Manchester Avenue
Media, PA 19063-4098
voice: 610-892-1524
FAX: 610-892-1523
email: landerman pit.edu <mailto:landermanpit.edu>
Library catalog: http://pitcat.pit.edu
<http://pitcat.pit.edu/>
website: www.pit.edu <http://www.pit.edu/>
"[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry
me.
Is is the books that will never be written.
The books that will never be read.
And all due to the fear of censorship.
As always, young readers will be the real losers."
-- Judy Blume
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 10:22 AM
SubjectRE: [Web4lib] Headphone for Library Internet use
We use some mid-grade ones from DEMCO. Not cheap ($9.49
each), but we
check them out (not barcoded - we just take name and phone
number). We
have about 10 units available at any given time - we've
replaced the
equivalent of each of them 1x in 5+ years - about half to
walkaways,
half to wearing out. We've had some mistaken walkaways
returned with a
simple phone call. They're reasonably sturdy, with a volume
control on
the wire, and cleanable (with alcohol swab)
"leatherette" ear covers.
They come in individual ziploc bags - we keep them in the
bags with
their checkout sheet at the service desks. We label them
with a Sharpie
(plenty of space on the headset) - they have a letter
designation, which
matches the checkout sheet. Very simple, but we've never
felt the need
to get more complicated.
DEMCO - www.demco.com - item # P14964060
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Louise E. Alcorn
Reference Technology Librarian
West Des Moines Public Library
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 2:30 PM
Subject: [Web4lib] Headphone for Library Internet use.
Does anyone out there have a source for cheap headphones or
ear buds?
After fighting with headphones for ten years we have decided
to quit
supplying them and offer them for sale.
Brad Sargeant
Springfield Public Library
Springfield, Oregon
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