[Web4lib] Outside disk usage

[Phillip Whitford]

Most of our public PCs are now equipped with USB ports and multi format
media readers that handle a wide range of solid state media such as
memory sticks, SD cards, MMC, etc. We are seeing more and more people
using them. Floppy disks are still number one around here but that is
changing as the flash drives become cheaper and cheaper and the amount
of data people need access to gets higher and higher. We also have
people bring in digital cameras, portable game devices, MP3 players, and
the like and plugging them into our public PCs.  Usually the PC just
sees the device as another drive. As long as the device doesn't require
drivers to be installed on the PC we don't have any problems with them.

I agree, many off the shelf PCs have the USB ports in awkward places.
Not to mention the headphone jacks!  The media readers we add contain
USB ports and fit in the 3.5 inch drive bay. These devices require USB
headers on the motherboard and usually cost less than $10. We also add a
port extender that fits into a 5.25 inch  drive bay to relocate the
headphone and mic jacks up front. It contains USB and firewire ports as
well. It does not require headers on the mother board as it just runs a
cable through the PC and out an expansion card slot. The cable plugs
into the existing ports on the back of the pc so it can be used with
older or cheaper models that don't have the headers. These devices are
also around $10 or $12.  

Phillip B. Whitford
Manager Information Technology
Braswell Memorial Library
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my organization. 
-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Richard Wiggins
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 7:03 AM
To: Web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Outside disk usage


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.
>
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