[Web4lib] Computer Lab Upgrades

[Michele Haytko]

Greetings all!  I apologize for the cross-posting to post PUBLIB and
WEB4LIB, but I wanted a range of responses.

Our Electronic Resources Lab/Computer Lab has 16 workstations (in
addition to 4 we keep upstairs in the Children's Department, bringing
our total to 20 stations).  Our lab is 3 years old and the furniture
(desk and chairs) is not holding up well at all.  The desks are
plastic and falling apart and the chairs are cloth- I wont disgust you
with the grimy details.  We would like to upgrade every workstation
and found a desk and chair that we love.  For 16, the cost is about
$3200 and for 20, we'd put out about $4000.  So now it's up to us to
sell this to our cash-strapped administration.

I would very much appreciate any answers you have to the below questions.

1.  How many workstations do you have?
2.  Do you remember the approximate cost per workstation (or as a whole)?
3.  Do all your workstations match?  Why or why not?
4.  Do you think upgrading one at a time is a bad idea?  Why or why not?
5.  Is $4000 for 20 workstations (desk and chair per station) an
average price?  Below average?  Above average?

Again, I am grateful for your insights.

Many thanks,
Michele
--
**************)0(**************
Mrs. C. Michele Haytko, AERL
Montgomery County-
      Norristown Public Library
MC-NPL Computer Lab
1001 Powell Street
Norristown, PA 19401
610-278-5100 Ext. 141

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi