[WEB4LIB] Re: print pop-up message generator

[GRAY, PAUL]

The programs that actually displayed the page count to the user AT THE
DESKTOP were not cost-effective for our limited needs either.
We DID find a product - Printer Release Server - by Software Metrics ouit of
Ontario.
http://www.metrics.com

This product allows creation of a specialized port on the print server that
has control options built in.  You can set it to automatically hold all
print jobs - or set up rules that will determine what jobs are automatically
released or deleted.

It does require a 'release station' which we place at the circ desk.  The
patrons come to the desk and identify the station they were printing from
and ask for their printout.  The staff member then gets the page count
information from the release station - advises the patron of the # of pages
(and in our case - the cost) then - only if the patron still wants the
document is it released to the printer.

Also not a perfect solution but it DOES:
 prevent anything from being printed until the patron is actually at the
printer
 advise the patron the number of pages before he/she asks for it to be
printed

DISCLAIMER -
This is purely informational - it is not an endorsement or promotion of this
product.  
etc. etc. etc. 

Paul H. Gray,Manager - Library LAN & CLC
TCC Northeast Campus Library
817-515-6623
"Those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me - - - Hank and Tennessee"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: stephanie spearman [mailto:razl00 at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 11:40 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: print pop-up message generator
> 
> 
> Here is a page with the type of software you're
> talking about:
> http://www.lptone.com/
> 
> In our system, I use the new 'print preview' button
> available with IE 5.5. I take away the 'print' button
> and 'file' on the menu bar (combination of customizing
> and reghacks). When they click on print preview it
> brings up a screen that shows you page by page what
> you'll print and how many pages it will print. This
> way they can actually choose which pages to print.
> 
> Now, next: on the circ desk computers the staff have
> the power to put the printer on pause and they keep it
> on pause. Every document that comes in is put on
> pause. This way, the patrons have to come to the desk
> to ask for a specific document to be printed (they're
> trained now to remember the site address). Staff then
> highlight the particular document, click on Resume,
> then take the printer off pause and ONLY that document
> prints. They then put the printer back on pause. This
> is our current solution--the 3rd party software cost
> is a little high for us. It's not The Final Answer but
> that will take time.
> 
> Stephanie Spearman
> NW Ga Regional Library System
> Dalton, GA
>