1. Announcements, news, etc.

2. Topics:

• DS-managed public computer backgrounds (Laura)
  
  
• Finding Equipment page on the Library Gateway (related: OCS inventory software & Cybrarian - plus other ideas for collaborating with CIT for equipment/software inventory?) (Philip)
  
  
• Red Rover: what problems have been reported in CUL units? (all)
  
  
• Unicode & PAC machines – how is everyone upgrading & when? (all)
  
  
• Location of next meeting? Should we meet later in January, as there may be more to discuss by then?   (all)

3. Wrap-up

Attending: Pat Viele, Pat Court, Maureen Morris, Suzanne Cohen, Aaron Wade, Oliver Habicht, Keene Silfer, Philip Halcomb, Laura Heisey, Michael Cook (scribe).

1.         Announcements, news, etc.

• Aaron mentioned that there is a forthcoming data security policy & that it will affect CUL. This security policy comes through CIT and is based on NYS law.

2.         Topics:

• Desktop Services-managed public computer backgrounds (Laura)
  

New desktop wallpapers that Carla designed were passed around to the group.

• Finding Equipment page on the Library Gateway (Maureen)

Maureen showed the group the Finding hardware, software list. She is working on expanding the list so that there is a list for hardware and one for software. There is a greater variety of software on the new list without showing specific version numbers of programs (which would be too difficult to maintain).

Oliver asked how we might schedule updates of the list; Suzanne suggested that perhaps a January/Summer reminder could go out to individuals responsible for making updates. Philip suggested that the list instead be displayed as drop-down selections for locations of each type of software.

On a related note: Philip explained that the new version of the OCS inventory software will be platform independent, use MySQL, but that it is not ready for prime time yet.

• Red Rover: what problems have been reported in CUL units? (all)
  

Maureen: Like Mann, they are getting very similar problems at Olin; Suzanne: Hotel, JGSM & ILR have not reported problems with Red Rover. Aaron: problems are being reported in Engineering, in Duffield.

• Unicode & PAC machines - how is everyone upgrading & when? (all)

Amy Blumenthal sent out a recommendation for Unicode on Windows & Macs. Desktop Services will need to put MS Arial Unicode font on 110 machines, and it can be bought separate from MS Office if needed. We may want to do a group purchase – Oliver will clarify this in January.  CUL can probably subscribe via Microsoft, based on FTE’s and not the number of computers.

• Location of next meeting? Should we meet later in January, as there may be more to discuss by then?  (all)
  

Suzanne suggested that we could meet in January to decide what to do for a “forum” on February 7th to re-introduce the group in the context of PSEC. Some possible points to go over include the Find Equipment page, the Public Computing Policy we recently drafted; this forum should also be a way to generate topics for us to consider. A central question to pose to the forum is “what are the concerns with public computing?”

The PSEC forum will likely be at 9:30am on Feb. 7th, probably in Olin 106.

Oliver said that directors often want more innovative public computing in their spaces.  Pat Viele may send an email to ASTECH to see what they want to know about public computing. Suzanne suggested that we go back to our respective groups to see what they want to know and what we should talk about.

 
Maureen will reserve Olin 106 for 2/7.

Our next meeting is at Engineering, Fri. 13th from 2-3:30. Aaron will reserve a room and will let us know. (104A Carpenter Hall)

3.         Wrap-up