[Web4lib] News about an ubuntu deployment at Howard County Library, MD

[Amy De Groff]

*Howard County Library Upgrades Computer System*

(Columbia, MD) - Each Howard County Library customer's computer 
experience will soon be dramatically enhanced!  On  September 21, /all 
/Howard County Library public access computers will be upgraded to a new 
operating system called "Groovix." 
 
Customers will be able to:

    * /*Browse */the Internet using a choice of two "best-in-class"
      web-browsers: Firefox or Opera.
    * /*Work */using word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and
      database software from OpenOffice (open, modify, print and save
      Microsoft Office files and store them in their "native" formats).
    * /*Message */using GAIM, a cross-platform instant messaging product
      which lets IM users sign in with AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and other IM
      accounts.
    * /*Play */and listen to audio via Real Player (bring headphones or
      buy a pair from the library for $1).
    * /*Access */files from the popular USB "thumb drives" (bring one or
      buy one from the library for $20). Fill up one with free e-books
      or full-text magazine and newspaper articles from the Library's
      web site.


In addition to these new features, all branches will offer more new 
monitors, mice and keyboards (including two large text keyboards per 
branch), more memory (512 MB of Ram), on-screen text enlargement, and 
updated, secure virus protection systems.

Howard County Library is a pioneer in Maryland in using Open Source 
software on public and staff machines. Because Open Source software is 
available free or at a very modest cost, the Library can provide public 
computers at a fraction of  the cost using comparable 
commercially-available software.

-- 
Amy Begg De Groff
Library Technology Services Department Head
Howard County Library 
www.hclibrary.org 

voice: 410-313-7985 
cell: 443-474-0741 
fax: 410-313-7864
e-mail: degroffa at hclibrary.org
IM: abdegroff