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Power
to the People: Establishing an Effective Internet Security Policy in
Libraries By Timothy D. King, Patch Library, In the world of computers and technology, change is certain. Not
only does this hold true with the transformation of various hardware
components, the same is also evident in the evolution of computer software.
What is even more remarkable is when companies manufacture programs that are
geared towards a niche market, and their implementation provides a
streamlined and more effective way of conducting business. A key area where this is now taking place is within the world of
libraries, where software management tools are replacing the traditional
sign-in sheets once used for public PC access. EnvisionWare (www.envisionware.com) provides the
interface that most Army Europe library patrons have grown accustomed to. The
networking capabilities that the PC
Reservation and LPT:One systems provide are the ease for patrons to
self-checkout a PC if they are a registered library patron, more regulation
over print jobs and financial accountability, and remote capabilities to
enforce time limits on individual public PC sessions. Library management software allows registered library patrons to
manually reserve public PC terminals. In addition to providing more freedom
of choice for authorized users, the requirement that some form of
identification is necessary dramatically decreases the chances of a network
being compromised by an unknown attacker. Most libraries are faced with two
types of issues related to public PC access: access control, such as
determining specific websites that may or may not be viewed, and access management,
which includes patron authentication and usage reports (Boss, 2006). “Patron
authentication is an important feature of reservation software because it
makes it possible to deny multiple reservations by the same patron,” said
Boss. For a library staff member working in a military library on a
military server, access control is determined at a much higher level of
authority with various signal commands. However, the intuitive capabilities
of an access management program now create an environment where if an attack
on the network does occur, library staff members are able to trace the
incident to a specific date, time, and PC terminal. “A huge number of viruses
still come from users who bring in programs on floppy disks, writeable CDs, and
USB drives,” although multiple virus attacks do occur through the use of the
Internet (Myers, 2004). Since a registered patron can only checkout one
public PC through the self-checkout PC at a time, then theoretically an
incident could be traced back to one specific individual. Library management software also controls printing and properly
accounts for any paid print jobs. An effective print management system serves
three distinct purposes: it allows staff to set the price per page, it allows
staff to set the number of pages that can be printed, and it allows patrons
to cancel printing altogether. All of these help to reduce wasted paper and
ink cartridges ( Lastly, library management software provides remote capability
over the public PC terminals inside of the library. This added feature can be
used for multiple reasons. “All of the products make it possible for staff to
remotely set up reservations, send message[s] to any PC, terminate a session,
extend the time for a user, restart a PC, or shut down any or all PCs,” said
Boss. Whether used to increase or reduce the amount of time allotted to an
individual patron, the ability of this system gives staff personnel
unyielding power that once was not available. Prior to software
implementation free-reign was given to library patrons at Kanawha County
Public Library System under the honor system ( Self-checkout reservation with authentication, print management
software, and remote access capability, provides libraries with better
network security. Change does not come easy, as staff members and patrons
need instruction and time to adjust with new technologies. However, through
proper training and implementation, the results are rewarding for everyone. References Boss, R. (2006). PC reservation & print management software.
Retrieved June 13, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/pla/plapubs/technotes/pcreservation.htm. Dawson, J. (2004, June). Installing and managing PC time-control
software. Computers in Libraries,
24(6), 18-23. Retrieved June 13, 2008, from Computers & Applied Sciences
Complete database. Dean, T. (2006). Network+ guide to networks: Fourth edition.
Meyers, M. (2004). Mike Meyers’ network+ guide to managing
and troubleshooting networks. Wayne, R. (2004, June). An overview of public access computer
software management tools for libraries. Computers in Libraries,
24(6), 24-30. Retrieved June 13, 2008, from Computers & Applied Sciences
Complete database. |
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