Public PC printers

[Knuth, Pat CARL knuthp]

 >The real question is has anyone simply put a networked
>printer in a public area (in our case in the area of some 25
>networked CDROM and WEB workstations) and NOT given it
>attendance, much as is the case if you hang a printer on
>each workstation?

>I know there will be times for refiling paper, paperjams, and so
>forth, and folks are used to that with 20 LX300s.  But what
>about people fighting over stuff, hassling you that their stuff
>didn't come out yet (probably because there are a dozen
>cued items ahead of it), etc?  I'm thinking of recommending
>we go to a networked printer but NOT putting it at an attended
>desk.

>Reactions?  Suggestions?  Comments?  Experiences? Am I
>crazy?  (answer that one only as related to this question,
>please.)

We have 5  Internet/e-mail  workstations on the 1st floor networked to a HP 
5N.  We have 10 PCs  with Microsoft Office and Internet access on the 2nd 
floor  that we plan to network to an HP 5Si (on order)  We've only had the 
1st printer networked about a month, so there are lots of issues that could 
still come up.  So far, our only problem was when there were power problems 
(something about a raccoon and a transformer) and our segment of the network 
was down for four days.    We don't charge for printing (or photocopying) so 
I didn't have to deal with some of those issues.

When we decided to go to networked laser printers, I named and labeled each 
workstation and used NetWare User Tools (we're using NetWare 4.1) to print 
the name of the workstation on a cover sheet for each printout.  It's an 
extra piece of paper, but the printer is unattended (though  close to the 
reference desk) and so far it seems to work.

I did show the reference librarians how  to use pconsole so they could see 
if there are a lot of items queued or if they need to clean out the print 
queue and I'm not here.

Pat Knuth
Systems Librarian,
Combined Arms Research Library
US Army Command and General Staff College
Ft. Leavenworth, KS 66027
knuthp at leav-emh1.army.mil