[Web4lib] Outside disk usage

[Richard Wiggins]

Somewhat related question: how often do people show up with pocket USB flash 
drives and expect to plug them in?
 Many geeks such as myself always carry one -- I have for years now -- but I 
see these as offering so much value that I expect everyone who is computer 
literate to carry one. Yet the penetration rate seems lower than I would've 
expected.
 Do your patrons have any problems accessing the USB port? Many computers 
now offer front USB ports, but they don't always work. At our university, we 
have some models of Dell computers in our computer labs that have the curved 
panel you have to raise in order to get to the USB port. The USB port on the 
computer is at an awkward angle, not 90 degrees as it ought to be. And the 
space is constraned so that if you have a bulky USB device, you cannot plug 
it in.
 Over time I would expect folks to use USB devices as a large data pail to 
carry home oodles of useful content they find at the library. In fact as 
prices for USB flash devices continue to fall, patrons may walk up to the 
desk hoping to buy a flash drive. (Some universities are already looking at 
distributing antivirus tookkits to students on flash drives instead of CD. 
The student loads the software and then has a usable flash drive with the IT 
department's logo and contact number imprinted on it.)
 /rich
 PS -- I predict that mass-market USB flash drives will often double as MP3 
players -- THEN they will be in everyone's pocket.
 On 8/16/05, Phillip Whitford <PWhitford at braswell-library.org> wrote: 
> 
> Like some of the others who have responded I think your policy against
> outside storage media may be to restrictive. But to answer your question
> we treat left behind storage media just like any other personal property
> left in the library. We hold on to it for at least 30 days in case they
> return for it. After 30 days it is disposed of.
> 
> For the record we allow patrons to bring in their own floppy disks,
> flash drives, zip disks, and blank CDs. They can buy disks and CDs from
> us if they don't have their own. It hasn't caused any security or virus
> problems.
> 
> Phillip B. Whitford
> Manager Information Technology
> Braswell Memorial Library
> Rocky Mount, NC 27804
> Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my organization.
>