In these difficult economic times, everyone is on the lookout for savings. This author, an adult services librarian at New City Library in New York, has spent the last two years implementing small-scale open source and freeware replacements where proprietary or paper solutions once ruled. While none of these projects is individually revolutionary,…

Within the next few years, traditional online public access catalogs will be replaced by more robust and interconnected discovery layers that can serve as primary public interfaces to simultaneously search many separate collections of resources. Librarians have envisioned this type of discovery tool since the 1980s, and research shows that…

Describes how Cleveland State University implemented a strategy that includes a standard, support, and training for use of personal digital assistants (PDAs). Explains how this has helped put the campus in control of how the technology is used in the enterprise. (EV)

At thousands of schools and universities, years of economic troubles have led to repeated budget cuts. The reductions typically fall disproportionately on maintenance departments, where cuts are viewed as less critical than those that directly affect classroom instruction. And so nearly every facility manager at an education institution faces a…

Describes three-step guide to choosing computer hardware: Determining system requirements, making the purchase, living with your choices. (PKP)

Discusses negotiating with vendors when purchasing campus information technology. Describes the mechanics of a negotiation (deep discounts, maintenance and support costs, future discounts, warranties and remedies, training and consulting), vendor approaches to negotiating, composition of the negotiating team, and what to do after negotiations end.…

Riddles are time-honored educational tools used to entertain students while teaching them the value of critical thinking. They often require the kind of outside-the-box inductive and deductive reasoning that is so valued in the business world today. Now, those same educators who talk about two coins adding up to 35 cents are being presented with…

The use of classroom blogs in higher education serves to engage and motivate students as well as to help them build a professional online profile and connect with fellow classmates. Although many studies have focused on the implementation and benefits of blogging in education, few have investigated best practices in design, which can have a…

In October 2012, Microsoft will release the commercial version of its next operating system, presently called "Windows 8." This version represents a significant departure from the past. Microsoft wants this operating system to meet user needs regardless of physical platform (e.g., desktop, notebook, tablet, mobile phone). As part of this mission,…

Discussion of school hardware and software selection focuses on a study that identified the most useful pieces of hardware and accompanying software applications as rated by teachers whose sixth- through eighth-grade classes spent a semester working in a special technology-rich environment at Kent State University. Compares ratings by teachers and…

Describes the development of an electronic language laboratory at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. Topics include the selection of hardware and software, two English-as-a-Second-Language programs, integration into the classroom curriculum, and benefits of computer-assisted language instruction. (LRW)

Describes how to assemble a functional, cost-effective multimedia production workstation in the Microsoft Windows environment. Recommendations for the selection of various components of the workstation are given, including computer requirements, sound card, video capture card, and authoring system. (LRW)

Provides a review of literature related to perceptions of home computers held by various cultural groups. Argues that families vary in their degree of involvement in working with professionals to make decisions about home computers. Describes training as a primary support required by many families to ensure effective implementation of home…

Discusses how the switch to PCs by administrators at Dartmouth College, a historically Apple-centric campus, highlights the higher education challenges facing the computer company. (EV)

Total cost of ownership (T.C.O.) and return on investment (R.O.I.) are factors to remember when planning technology investment. Additionally questions relating to the purpose of the new technology and the connected hardware and software purchases need to be asked when contemplating purchase of new technology.