https://12ft.io/

This is why my emails and calls aren’t being responded to.

Usually it’s pretty easy, I reach out, ask how their day or week is going and if they mention kids I ask how the family is doing. We talk about random things for a bit, then we start going into the latest projects the library is working on and how I could use their help. The usually response is, I never thought a Library would need that, and we schedule the next set of meetings to talk with their internal experts.

Our city’s purchasing policy says we have to go through state approved contracts/vendors before going to other vendors. I was just informed that Staples has a state wide contract, and the sales rep is answering my emails, so they get our business going forward.

For the record, yes I have contacted their manager and still no response. We needed some Chrome Management licenses, and could get them from CDW-G (I work at a library) with a 30% discount. Sent in the order, provided the needed on and off domain emails, then nothing. It’s not the first time, with previous times documented, so I have taken the issues to the Purchasing Coordinator for my city. No idea what, if anything, is going to happen next.

Hi,

Head of IT for a public library. I don’t want to discourage you, just want to make sure you are aware of a few factors.

Governance: This one is tricky as each state has its own setup; so I will just talk to the one I live in, Wisconsin. While a small library may appear to be on its own, it could be apart of a system or consortium for resource sharing. For example my team oversees 6 libraries (formally 7), ranging from a main branch to smaller, rural locations. One of these locations use to be open for 3 days a week, 4 hours per day. We didn’t put the best systems there because people mostly browsed email. We did invest in decent WiFi access points (meraki) and a 5gb internet connection, because people brought their laptops and we broadcast WiFi out of the building 24/7/365. The rural locations are not branded as apart of our main library for political reasons (ie the small towns don’t want to think the larger cities are influencing them)

Funding aid: Network equipment was cheap because we used erate and got an 85% discount. Erate is controversial in libraries because of the filtering requirement. All filters for libraries also double as the same ones for schools and they over filter based on keywords plus act as man in the middle attacks to sniff traffic, a huge privacy and security concern. In a public library, someone could be looking up info on breast cancer, but the filter prevents the word “breast”. In addition, the pricing model is based on population served and the cost per person is outrageous. We use SafeDNS to filter the computers at the DNS level. You could probably get away with using PI hole or adguardhome on desktop system to do the same thing, just make sure the logs are set to wipe at least once a day.

Security/privacy: It’s important that some kind of wiping ability is leveraged. We use Deepfreeze, but it’s expensive. Our chromeboxes are setup in a permanent guest most, so when the session is stopped, it reboots and all previous information is wiped.

Analytics: You will want to find out if they will want to keep track of usage. Not necessarily who is using the computer, but if it’s being used. We tent to track hourly usage at all locations, and if a library card was used to log into the system or a temp pass that works for 2 hours. Chrome box wise, we have a basic script the fires every time the browser is opened to date, time, and location (which branch) of the use. When the browser is closed, the session is over and the system reboots. The patron is warned via a pop up that this will happen.

Authentication: Most library auth systems use the SIP2 protocol to check the library and pin match existing records in the automated library system. Unfortunately, all of the systems we have ever evaluated require windows.

Other discount options: Tech soup is the big one if a library is to go in for solo purchasing. They offer discounts to local governments (usually what a library falls under), nonprofits, and schools.

If there is a larger system, they should be coordinating a discounted purchasing program with dell or another provider. Wisconsin has one that was coordinated by Madison, but my system has also negotiated for cheaper hardware in the past.

We are experimenting with Chrome OS Flex on our older dell hardware. We tend to use these stations for catalog browsing terminals, but are allowing them to now breakout of the catalog to browse the web. These is a license cost to manage from the Google Admin console, but if you only have a dozen-ish systems, it could work.

Lastly, I cannot tell you how many libraries I have walking into around the state and in other states that have unactivated copies of windows. It’s one of those situations where if you don’t need to change the background but are getting the needed security updates, do you really care? This is my understanding of what most library directors think. They are usually more worried about of the local town/village board member is going to cut their funding because they have an LGBTQ book on the shelf or is it going to be the one on race relations.

We do this where I work, we call it the teen space. The only difference is we don’t want to sell you anything, but ask you to signup for a library card.

That helps with the Presidential elections, there is still the House and local assembly. I live in Wi and hope that we can start having fair maps for our assembly. 40% of the vote shouldn’t result in 60%+ of the seats.

Edit: I do agree that 1 person 1 vote should be the norm, we just have other issues to worry about with gerrymandering and civic engagement.

They were arguing that teens would show up, because we don’t prevent them from attending the event. This would lead to awkward conversations that the MFL group members are not ready to have as parents.

I don’t know what universe they live in, it’s hard enough to get teens to attend programs that are focused towards them let alone something like this.

This is definitely part of it. Meetings are usually at 5pm but I have seen some start at 7pm and go on for hours, looking at you budget hearings. These are important; however, the information is usually in a giant PDF or print only. I think the other part of the equation is how the municipality communicates and engages with its population.

As a librarian, I want to help with organizing the information and make it available in different formats, but it takes a lot of buy in from elected officials and other departments. Not saying that’s how all local governments work, it’s just my experience with a couple.

On a side note, Data Governance and Analytics now falls under my department. This thread just gave a goal for next year, just got to figure out how to word it.

Reposting my comment from a while ago, with some edits:

The library I work at has had Moms for Liberty attend several meetings demanding we withdraw books that are against their beliefs, no specific titles, just a general demand. This would include anything on LGBTQ+, children’s books with rainbows, our Banned Books display, and anything promoting voting and civics education. More recently, they want us to stop holding some events, including adult focused events about race relations in the Midwest, and we should no longer host any programs funded by State and Federal grants. Lastly, they have said we need to stop allowing the staff from joining ALA or the state library association.

If any of these restrictions or censorship upsets you at all, please attend a library board meeting and voice your support for the library. Some even let you write in. Groups like MFL make it a point to attend a lot of the meetings in hopes to get their way, and it’s working.

DROP TABLE names;

It allows local hosting; however, thumbnails are sent through an unprotected, cloud based server where they were also cached. It was easily hacked a while ago, when someone figured out the file names, and their patch was to make the file names more obscure so they cannot be guessed.

I bought them a couple of years before the hack, and shit hit the fan. All my cams are external, so the privacy aspect isn’t as high as those with them inside a child’s room or elsewhere inside.

Already have 5 cases of toilet paper plus the other thing purchases from the last pandemic. UVC sanitation stations, diy hand sanitizer kit, and 3D printed mask face masks and shields.

Right now there is a lot of reliance on word of mouth. They are posting on social networks, local governments will promote it in their news letters and social as well, but it’s not going to get the marketing blitz that it really needs. I just found out because of a different group meeting.

The library I work at has had Moms for Liberty attend a couple of meetings demanding we withdraw books that are against their beliefs, no specific titles, just a general demand. They have also said we need to stop allowing the staff from joining ALA or the state library association. If this upsets you at all, please go to a library board meeting and voice your support for the library. Some even let you write in. Groups like MFL make it a point to attend a lot of the meetings in hopes to get their way, and it’s working in some areas.

You had me at cheesecake.