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Free Software at the Local Library?
DoraLives asks: "I live in a small town in East Central Florida, nearly in the shadow of the launch pads at Cape Canaveral. People generally expect that a place like this would be quite technologically advanced. Unfortunately, this isn't always true, and a case in point is the local library. They have a nice collection of CD's, and you might think you'd see Free Software CD's on the rack right next to Frank Zappa, Duke Ellington, and Bach. Think again, no such thing obtains here, or in any of the other libraries hereabouts." Aside from Linux and BSD install discs, what other pieces of software might make good items for the software section in your local public library?
"I went and talked to the director of the local library about having them provide a Knoppix disk or something similar to those unfortunates, who cannot afford a high speed internet connection to download and burn their own copies. Mr. Director seemed quite unaware as to the entire concept of Free Software and asked me to provide him with a 'list of this free software,' for his review. So, as part of my research into what's available out there, I thought I'd run this one past the users of Slashdot and see what they might recommend by way of operating systems, utilities, applications, and all the rest of the free stuff that's available for download and burning, that would make good items for the shelves of a lending library.
Methinks the inhabitants of my little burg would be tickled to find out that the entire computing world is NOT owned by a corporation in Washington state. I further think that this could be a fine way to get the word, and the actual software, out to the masses. Am I right? Can Slashdot help me with Mr. Director's need for information so he can make an informed decision."
Methinks the inhabitants of my little burg would be tickled to find out that the entire computing world is NOT owned by a corporation in Washington state. I further think that this could be a fine way to get the word, and the actual software, out to the masses. Am I right? Can Slashdot help me with Mr. Director's need for information so he can make an informed decision."
Choice of titles aside, this subject has been covered before.
Windows open source software can be great, so check out the The Open CD. It includes such wonderful things as (in type-of-application order):
OpenOffice.org, AbiWord, GIMP
Mozilla, FileZilla, TightVNC, WinHTTrack, PuTTY
Audacity, CDex, Crack Attack!, Sokoban YASC, Celestia, Really Slick Screensavers
7-Zip, SciTE, WinPT, NetTime
All of that would be great. Maybe even print up a little intro booklet to help the user in deciding what to install.
I work in a public library and my experience with the typical demographic of the library would lead me to believe that this would not be a big hit. Many of the patrons visit the library simply to use the internet, most of these people do not have a computer at home. Another large percentage are older folks, who simply want to read their mysteries. We do carry a moderately sized selection of (mostly educational) software, however that circulates very poorly.
Perhaps this could be successful in a smaller library with a more technically aware demographic, however in your average public library, I don't think it would see much success.
I work at a city library with machines sponsored by the B&M Gates Learning Foundation. To pimp Free Software may incur the wrath of Redmond for an already underfunded library. We're already a frickin' MS Office infomercial as it is.
I do, however, try to make sure people know and understand the costs of MS Software as well as the benefits of Open Source/Free Software. I recommend OpenOffice for those who don't want to shell out a fortune for word processing. I tell people about Mozilla Firefox and describe the benefits it has.
I also have handouts with links to AVG Anti-Virus, Ad-Aware, and Zone Alarm. Not Open Source but "free as in beer."
To offer CD's could become a support nightmare unless you pull a "Try at your own risk" thing. Last thing a library needs are irate patrons because they borked their machines trying to use/install software YOU supplied.
If you are to do so anyway, go with OSS for Windows, first. OpenOffice, Firefox, GIMP. Then maybe the free-as-in-beer stuff I mentioned earlier for antivirus, anti-spyware, and firewalling. Then there's other stuff like Knoppix and bootable game CD's (America's Army?).
In the end, there are quite a few considerations to think about when offering software from a library. You'll have political issues, can lose some private funding/sponsorships, and even have irate patrons who mistake your goodwill for tech-support-for-life.
One of the irritating things I got to hear at the library was that when a student asked about BSODs and rebooting, the rest of the class said that it's a normal thing, and to get used to it. I had to tell them otherwise, and even then, they weren't fully convinced that instability isn't natural.
Hopefully with stuff like free software cd's, and the knoppixes of the world, people will find that there are alternatives to MS. Maybe they'll even see its simplicity, stability, and practicality.
There's also The Open CD which is a similar project with the same purpose... point-and-click installs of several useful apps.
Most people will switch to free software gradually, not suddenly with a complete operating system replacement.
They may eventually switch to Linux, but that will be much easier for them if they are already using software that can be used under both Linux and Windows.
Therefore, I think the best thing for most people would be a cd filled with easy-to-install Windows versions of programs such as the following:
* OpenOffice 1.1.1
* Mozilla Firefox (web browser)
* Mozilla Thunderbird (email and usenet discussions)
* Mozilla Sunbird (calendar)
* Nvu (based on the old Mozilla Composer web-design app)
* Mozilla Suite 1.6 (for those who prefer it all in one program)
* Pan (usenet binaries)
* gaim (chat client)
* The Gimp (to replace Photoshop
There are Windows binary downloads available for each of these programs...
You might also make a version of this disk for Mac OSX users. But by this, I mean apps that run natively, not through an X server. Fink is great, and you might want to have a disk that lets you install it and some of its packages... but running an X server is a little complex for the average user.
Apps that run natively under OSX that I know of:
* Mozilla Suite 1.6
* Mozilla Camino (a more lightweight browser)
* NeoOffice/J (a version of OpenOffice)
I am sure there are other native OSX FOSS apps... but those are the ones I know of.
Of course there's no reason you can't provide 20 different Linux distributions and the entire contents of Sourceforge... but I would focus on Windows and Mac apps, and Live-CDs so people can get their feet wet with FOSS apps without committing an entire system all at once.
A cd of Project Gutenberg books would be a reasonable thing for a library to carry. Staring at a screen isn't the best way to read a book, but I've read quite a few that way.
Some of my favorites (Some of which I read in dead tree format, I'm not masochistic enough to read Les Miserables via CRT):
-jim
Cocoa Beach
Is it fascism yet?
Microsoft offers Windows Update CDs every few months for free from them. Perhaps get a few, http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order .asp
Of course if everyone using the library has broadband it might be kinda mute, but it would be useful for everyone else.
Bit of a problem, here. FYI, I'm a librarian myself.
CDs cost money. The PC costs money. Libraries don't have that kind of budget. Even if only a hundred people per year make that request, the costs would include:
1) Media. Including bad burns that must be discarded.
2) Computer time. Libraries often do not have state-of-the-art equipment. The computer doing the burning might not be able to do anything else while it's running.
3) Staff time. Something that is often missed. While this could be delegated to a library assistant.
Imagine what would happen if that number increased tenfold. We're talking thousands of dollars. It would be better for them to burn one or two sets of CDs and have them available for circulation, and simply replace them when they wear out. If a patron wants to purchase a CD copy for themselves then they would have to pay for it. Or they could do it at home.
I can see this as more viable in academic library settings. OpenOffice and other Free Software alternatives will help students get the type of software they need to write papers, create presentations, etc.. For public libraries... well, that would be up to the individual library.