The Google Solution

Last year, before my Network Systems Support Administrator retired, we had a bit of a “crisis” in our computer lab. A patron tried opening Microsoft Word to write a letter. This patron got a hold of me (I am the go to “geek”) and asked me to look at her computer. I walked in and noticed that a message popped up and said, “License expired.” My initial thought was, “Uh oh.” Upon further investigation — I figured out that our Microsoft Office license expired throughout the computer lab. I am not sure if my then Network Administrator forgot to renew the license, or maybe retirement settled in early — either way, there is a solution. Richard Loomis, author of Fewer Dollars, More Sense explains that, “keeping track of licenses and equipment and maintaining them can be difficult, especially in a ten-branch system with a couple of hundred machines; [within] a few months I found the solution — Google Chrome Management” (Loomis, 2015). Now, this management tool seems to work with Google Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. Loomis purchased five of these Chromebooks for patrons, but needed some way to manage all of them — especially if the Chromebooks would be offered at other branches.

For a one-time license fee of $30 per device, this web-based console allows network administrators to manage not only the inventory, but also a way to update all of the library system’s Chromebooks — and functions. For starters, a management console gives the administrator “rules” to be placed on these Chromebooks (as you’d imagine, this is needed so patrons don’t overstep their given boundaries) (Loomis, 2015). Plus, using this type of console gives the administrator the option of adding security on all of the devices as well — not to mention setting up user privileges (Loomis, 2015). Additionally, Loomis states that, “An Administrator can change rules and permissions and perform other management functions anywhere by simply logging into his/her Google account” (Loomis, 2015). Further, Loomis is looking into a cost-effective desktop computer solution, as some computers in the library are out of date. By using Google Chromebox PCs, and Google software, in the near future, managing computers in the library might be an even easier task.

For me, I wonder why more libraries haven’t addressed this issue? Actually, why haven’t more libraries partnered with Google to maybe get Chromebooks/Chromebox PCs for their libraries? In the past, and I’ve even written about this, Google has been very kind to businesses and libraries alike. If a deal can be made, libraries can benefit from this solution, and allow an administrator to manage their network of computers — more efficiently.

Reference:

Loomis, R. (2015, October 14). Fewer Dollars, More Sense. Retrieved from Library Journal: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/10/opinion/field-reports/fewer-dollars-more-sense-field-reports/