Low-Cost Prototype OPAC System

[Ross Singer]

On Dec 18, 2012, at 6:52 PM, Cary Gordon <listuser at CHILLCO.COM> wrote:
> 
> I can't imagine putting together a package like that using an SBC for
> that price. Just the monitor would be more than that.
> 
A lot of places have a lot of old monitors in surplus.

And keyboards.

And mice.

But, agreed, not everyone.
-Ross.

> Cary
> 
> On Tue, Dec 18, 2012 at 12:01 PM, Christian Pietsch
> <chr.pietsch+web4lib at googlemail.com> wrote:
>> John,
>> 
>> this is so cool, especially considering that the costly Kiosk PCs my
>> home town's public library has just acquired do not offer more than
>> your extremely cheap solution: they run a web browser.
>> 
>> In contrast to your solution, this public library (like so many) has
>> wasted money ...
>> - on many licenses for Microsoft's Windows operating systems
>> - on licenses for proprietary software to keep Windows in check
>> - to buy the powerful computers required to run Windows
>> - and harmed the environment because of the hight energy consumption
>>  of these computers.
>> 
>> Congratulations for avoiding these pitfalls!
>> 
>> My own academic library offers Linux-based PCs as OPAC terminals which
>> by and large avoid these pitfalls as well, although I do hope they
>> will eventually be replaced with more energy-efficient hardware such
>> as the options you mentioned.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Christian
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Dec 18, 2012 at 01:49:25PM -0500, John Lolis wrote:
>>> Has anyone else been looking into a low cost alternative to the usual OPAC computers?
>>> 
>>> Here at White Plains Public Library, we're testing the feasibility of an APC system board that retails for about $50.  I have it booting Raspbian Linux from a microSD card and running Chromium in kiosk mode to access our catalog.  So far after about a month in operation, it's looking good.
>>> 
>>> See http://whiteplainslibrary.org/2012/11/our-new-low-cost-experimental-online-catalog-pc/ and http://whiteplainslibrary.org/?p=3780 for more information, the latter page having detailed information about its setup.
>>> 
>>> Btw, I also looked into the less expensive Raspberry Pi; however, it only provides HDMI out, and no VGA.
>> 
>> 
>> --
>>  Christian Pietsch <http://purl.org/net/pietsch>
>>  LibTec (Library Technology and Knowledge Management),
>>  Bielefeld University Library, Bielefeld, Germany
>> 
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>> 2012-12-18
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Cary Gordon
> The Cherry Hill Company
> http://chillco.com
> 
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> 2012-12-18

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2012-12-18