[Web4lib] Forwarding Chat / IM alerts to a beeper / phone

[Jonathan Gorman]

Hi Sara,

Off the top of my head the immediate thought is to use a combination of 
Asterisk and a Jabber server/client.  I've heard of people using the 
combination to send out an IM detailing who's calling, so it could 
probably be reversed.  However, it's likely to require a large amount of 
individual tinkering.  Perhaps a local Linux User's Group might be looking 
for a project.

Otherwise look into pbx systems.  I've never really done any work with 
them, but I imagine there might be a company around you that could set it 
up.  Of course, perhaps not.  I don't know the state of these things 
currently.

Of course, it might be cheaper or more time-saving to look around on ebay 
or somewhere else for a cheap laptop that you could install the clients 
on, assuming the lab has internet access of some sort.  Or try to convince 
the cell phone companies or your local facilities to put repeaters to 
increase the signal to cell phones in the building.

Jon Gorman


ps.  Perhaps there needs to be a list for help in library tech that 
doesn't involve the web?  There does seem to be a lot of questions to this 
list that seem to have nothing to do with the Web.