[12477] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: How many PC support Staff?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dan Lester)
Wed Oct 7 20:08:07 1998
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 15:36:35 -0500
From: Dan Lester <dan@84.com>
In-Reply-To: <3.0.2.32.19981006121153.006f0484@192.168.0.66>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
At 03:50 PM 10/6/98 -0500, Clinton Jones wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>A ratio of 2 to 500 is unacceptably high
>it depends on a number of factors in addition
>geographic distribution
>Number of packages installed
>Age of machines
>types of peripheral devices
>nature of use (public access/personal use)
I agree that it depends on many factors, and that 2 for 500 is too high.
There are three on our team. I'm full time, but spend seven hours a week
in reference and have collection development assignments for four
departments, plus serve on three campus-wide computing committees. So,
maybe I'm half. One is full time. The other is 35 hours a week. We're
all at Albertsons Library, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho USA.
We support 170 computers (160 on network), including 80 networked CDROM
drives, two Novell 4.1 servers, two NT4 servers, three web servers, and the
integrated library system on a Sun box. Fifty of the machines are open to
the public, and 45 of those are networked. We also support desktop laser
printers on most staff machines, plus five high speed networked printers,
portable barcode scanners, a couple of laptops, and miscellaneous other
hardware.
We provide first-line training and support for ALL applications used in the
library. We manage all hardware (hubs, switch, Cat5 cabling, etc.) in the
building. We purchase and install all hardware, and cascade machines every
time a new one is purchased. This greatly increases the work, but improves
service and morale when four people get upgraded for each new machine. We
also handle hardware maintenance, rebuild machines, etc. Fortunately there
are no branches, but we do handle calls from campus people, both on and off
campus, for use of automated library services.
I'm not complaining at all....the three of us love it, provide good
service, and wouldn't want any other jobs. However, most days we're happy
if we're no further behind at the end of the day than at the beginning.
Hope this helps.
cheers
dan
--
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716-7115 USA 208-383-0165
dan@84.com http://www.84.com/ http://www.idaholibraries.org/
http://library.idbsu.edu/ http://cyclops.idbsu.edu/ http://www.lili.org/
Sent me a postcard of a library yet? You'll get something nice in return.
