[WEB4LIB] Thin clients

[Daniel Messer]

Good morning, all!

    Yakima Valley Regional Library makes heavy use of thin clients, but
we don't have any sort of article about it. We use them for pretty much
anything. The Circ desk operates 100% off of thin clients. Reference has
a couple of them too. Here's a quickie breakdown with the department and
the number of thin clients they have:

Circulation 6
Reference: 2
Children's: 1
Outreach: 2
Reserves: 1
Tech Services: 1
Technology Instruction: 1
Public Access (For Web and OPAC): 14 (8 dedicated OPAC only, the rest are
filtered and unfiltered web access)

    We also have one in the break room for personal and recreational use.
So, if my math is correct and I haven't missed any of them, that's a
total of 28 at the main library alone. Now consider we also have 19
community branch libraries scattered all over the county and each one
uses at least one thin client, many use more. Our Sunnyside branch has 6
if I remember correctly.
    If you're looking for an opinion on them (and I assume you are) we
absolutely love these things. IT has them set up to where, if anything
goes wrong with them, 95% of the time logging out and then logging back
in will fix it. You usually don't have to turn it off,  but even if you
do, start up time is much faster than your average PC.
    We use Linux as the delivery and control system for the Thin Clients.
We also make use of Citrix Metaframe and Samba. Depending on your login,
your access can range from filtered web access on up to an IT
administrator with the power to access any machine in our library system.
If you're thinking about installing and using thin clients, it's well
worth it.

Thanks,
Dan

"Joyce M. Latham" wrote:

> For an article on thin clients, is there anyone out there using them?
> Besides CPL?
>
> Joyce
>
> --
> Joyce M. Latham
> GSLIS -- University of Illinois
>
>    "Strictly speaking, there are no enlightened people; there is
> only     enlightened activity."  Suzuki Roshi

--
Mondai wa
The subject in question...
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Daniel Messer, Technologies Instructor
Yakima Valley Regional Library
102 N 3rd St Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 452-8541 x712
dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
                     -Hunter S. Thompson