Solo Tech - LibTech Presentation
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Robin Hastings provides tips for solo technology coordinators at libraries on managing technology with limited resources. The tips include balancing responsibilities, evaluating one's entire technology environment, using cloud services for file management and hosting, protecting devices with antivirus software, utilizing office suites, providing remote computer management and online tutorials, performing hardware repairs, overseeing many computers, and training staff and patrons. Hastings notes the challenge of trying to make technology support good, fast, and cheap with a limited budget and few staff.
Solo Tech - LibTech Presentation
- 1. Solo Tech How to manage a library's tech alone (or at least with fewer people than you really need)
- 2. obin Hastings formation Technology oordinator – Missouri River egional Library stingsr@mrrl.org bin.hastings@gmail.com tp://www.rhastings.net ides: l Images from Nasa.Gov or created by me
- 4. Evaluate Your Whole Environment
- 5. What Is The Cloud?
- 7. Antivirus and Computer Protection
- 9. Web and Intranet Hosting
- 10. Tech Help
- 12. Online How-Tos
- 13. Hardware Repair
- 15. Training
- 16. Pick Any Two! Good Fast Cheap
Editor's Notes
- #4: Made up slide – but true in general More work than time, staff or money (never met a tech who described themselves as underworked or overpaid) Today: Cloud-based tools to make you more productive and tips for keeping your hardware running without running you ragged
- #5: Evaluate all the things – do an environmental scan, know what hardware, software, staff you have in place before starting a new IT project. Tech plans – some have details of environment Spiceworks – closed source, free, handy for monitoring, trouble tickets and environmental inventory Network capacity – what can you support out of your building? Know what you do in-house, what can be done outsourced, what needs to stay with you
- #6: Many definitions, many uses of the term Can you pinpoint where your data lives (server? Data farm? State? Country?)? No? That’s the cloud Cloud (or web) scale – easily expandable, use (and pay for) only what you need (no excess computing power going to waste in your server room)
- #7: File Management – Dropbox, box.net File server – hardware costs (box, electricity, cooling costs, licenses, admin skills) Dropbox – 2GB free, more space costs (eg 50GB is 10.00 a month per account) has “Teams” accounts ($800 for 5 members) that makes collaboration easier. Individual accounts have public folders for sharing, private folders Box – 5-50GB free, Business account $15/user/month, more sharing features
- #8: Cloud Antivirus, etc. Panda Cloud Antivirus – updates automatically Password safes – LastPass, KeePass
- #9: Office Productivity – Google Apps, Zoho Suite, LibreOffice/ Open Office (not cloud based, but free and works with Google Apps)
- #10: Drupal Gardens, Wordpress.com, Bitnami and Amazon Web Services
- #11: Computer Maintenance – Ninite, Malwarebytes, Spybot Search & Destroy
- #12: VNC (Tight VNC, etc.) LogMeIn MSTSC RDP – iPad/iPhone/Android compatible
- #13: Microsoft.com/training YouTube (visual learners, take note!) Online Tips (PC World - http://www.pcworld.com/article/115049/pc_problems_fix_em_yourself.html, Drivers - http://www.ehow.com/how_2316520_fix-driver-errors.html) eHow
- #14: Local shops – sometimes get a deal on repairs Vendors – get those warranties (DakTech) Tech Colleges, High School classes (cheap or free)
- #15: Remote management (VNC, etc. from before) Italc ( http://sourceforge.net/projects/italc/ ) - view and control computers in a lab, interact with students (or patrons) works with Linux or Windows
- #16: Consortia – MORENet, MOBIUS, MLNC – all MO consortia that offer training free/cheap to members Professional Orgs – ALA, SLA, OLA (Ontario Library Association), MLA (Missouri Lib Association) National providers – Webjunction (state member?), TechSoup (grants), Vendors – MS Office training, Conferences (IUG, etc.)
- #17: There are no panaceas – no easy answers. If you use the tools I’ve given you today, you will have to decide what, exactly, you will give up in return. Even free tools cost in terms of time to learn and implement (Good and Cheap, not fast) and picking something that is fast to learn and cheap can limit the “good” part of that triangle.