My first post will be over computer hardware and software. They say when you are struggling to write; write what you know. public libraries are my passion and where most of experience lies. In this first blog entry, I wanted to bring awareness of some current issues and emerging technologies relevant to libraries in general. I decided the integration of Google's Chromebox into Georgia Public Libraries would fit perfectly into this blog entry. The Chromebox combines both hardware and software issues in one. The actual computer hardware that does all of the work has been redone. The Google Chromebox is much smaller than the average PC box. In appearance, it resembles a wireless router more that a PC tower. However, the internal parts are the same as well the connections for input devices. The Chromebox was made to be used in a business setting so this makes it workable in a library setting. The small size makes it ideal to fit into your average public library computer station. This small size also uses less electricity and saves money compared to it's larger PC counterparts.
The next issue regarding the Chromebox is the software. unlike the typical PC the Chromebox is a cloud base computing system meaning that there is no physical hard drive or physical software to install. Everything, from the operating system to all other applications reside in the Google cloud. This makes the Chromebox a low maintenance machine for IT professionals who don't have to worry about constantly updating software. Google will automatically do that. However, there are some drawbacks. This means commonly used software such the Microsoft office suite cannot be used on a Chromebox. Google does offer similar alternatives, such Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word. The major benefit of the Chromebox in software is cost. Operating systems and other applications are expensive to outfit each computer in a public library. As shown by the Public Libraries Survey (PLS), computer usage in public libraries continues to increase. Conversely, the Academic Library Survey (ALS) found that the expenditure on computer hardware and software for libraries is not increasing. Public libraries are learning to do more with less and the Chromebox is one way they achieve this.
Retrieved from GPLS News October 2013:
http://www.georgialibraries.org/news/articles.php?searchid=146
Module 3 Lecture Notes:
https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/aca_data.asp
http://www.imls.gov/research/pls_data_files.aspx
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/12/11/libraries-in-communities/
Although I had heard of the Chromebox, I was not familiar with the specifics of the Chromebox, such as all of the applications are cloud based. Since I find updating software a chore, the automatic updates would be a great benefit for me. However, I would not like the option of be able to use the Microsoft Office products.
ReplyDeleteI am hearing more about Chromebooks in libraries. It sounds like a good investment for libraries not trying to put a lot of money into software. I do see some issues about not offering some of the Microsoft Office such as what happens when they try to download documents sent to them or sending documents created that may not be compatible with Microsoft Office.
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