[WEB4LIB] Saving large files on public workstations

[Carl Merat]

Our library and our academic computing labs have added zip (100meg)
drives to all public access computers. Students do not have network
space allocated to them for storage of computer files outside of their
email on our email server or for the creation of webpages on our web
server. The lab sells the zip disks and the campus bookstore (for a
little less). Faculty do have network storage.

In the library we have not witnessed a great deal of use of these
drives, but we have only recently added Microsoft Office to half of our
32 public access machines. Students do use them extensively for courses
that utilize the computer labs. Of course many of them also use floppy
disks for backup or smaller file storage needs.

Regarding class usage, I teach a class where students are required to
write a 3000 word research paper, present a PowerPoint presentation of
their paper, and complete a collaborative web project. I accept no
assignments on paper...disk or email only.

They use their zip disks to complete their assignments, collect their
images, and create their individual pages on their zip disks. They then
build their site on a special network directory set up once they have
their groups and group projects approved. They learn a great deal about
backing up files, transferring files and network concepts...not to
mention the joy of teamwork on a building a website. All students, not
just my  class, may request space in this "homepages" portion of the
school's webpage server.

It is not as smooth in some ways as ftp but the school is not involved
in the storage business. Students with special, even larger, storage
needs may request network storage space, but it is approved on a case by
case basis as needs and resources allow.

Carl Merat
Technical Services Librarian
Liberty University


Jean-Marc Edwards wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I am wondering how other university libraries are dealing with this
> issue:
> 
> Our users would like to download large PDF files but sometimes those
> files are too large to fit on a regular diskette of 1,44 MB. They are
> also very large to send over email. Those PDF files are usually
> full-text articles from electronic journals or databases such as
> ABI/Inform on ProQuest Direct.
> 
> How do you deal with this issue ?
> 
> Do you provide workstations with Zip drives ? or what other solutions
> have you implemented that would be beneficial for other list members
> to know.
> Jean-Marc Edwards
> Division des systemes
> Bibliotheques de l'Universite d'Ottawa
> Courriel : jedwards at uottawa.ca