About a year ago the University of Georgia's Campus Information Technology
 Policy Board asked the campus units to submit proposals for upgrading or
establishing new instructional computer facilities.  The UGA Libraries sent in
several proposals including one from the Map Collection.  The Board liked the
Libraries' proposals but, of course, did not fund them.  This year the State of
Georgia started a state wide lottery whose profits are suppose to go to
education.  Well a little of the dirty money has filtered down, or up, to the
University.  The proposal I turned in a year ago has been funded by the
University using lottery money.  I now have $38,000 to spend on a computer lab
for the Map Collection, and I did not have to buy a ticket to win the money.
 
     Now comes the first problem.  I have to have specs on hardware and
software by this thursday morning.  The equipment orders have to be sent out by
next week.  I know what I asked for last year.  Is that what I need this year??
 
     The Map Room Computer Lab would be used to provide service to CD-ROM
databases (both US Government and other), databases held on a harddisk and on
floppies, and to data available through the University's broadband that are
held at other University sites and at sites available through the Internet.
The lab would provide both data and a small range of software to read and
manipulate data.  Most users would be expected to download data from the lab
and take the data to their own labs (either via floppy or via boradband).  Some
users would use the lab to create a final product.  The lab would also be used
as a small instructional site.  The Lab's server would also be used to run a
gopher service for the University and the geberal map community.  Maps-L would
use the gopher to store files and to make many additional services available.
 
     The equipment in the old proposal were:
       1.  Server:   486PC with 16MB RAM
       2.  Hard disk:  2 GB.
       3.  4 workstations:  486DX-33, Vesa Local Bus, 8 MB RAM,  5.25 & 3.5
              drives,  CD-ROM Drive,  200 MB Hard Drive,  good Video Card,
              17" SVGA Monitor.
       4.  1 Color Jetprinter PS4079 (Already have a HP LazerJet IIIP and a
           300 dpi flat-bed scanner)
 
       5.  Novell LAN software.
 
     What should I change or add to this equipment list???  I have a limit of
around $28,000 for the hardware. Is this reasonable??  If not what would be and
 why is this not????
 
     The software I would purchase to start the lab off includes:
       1.  ArcView  (II when available).
       2.  ArcInfo
       3.  Atlas GIS
       4.  MapInfo for Windows
       5.  Sammanish
       6.  Corel Draw
       7.  Generic CADD
 
     The systems will probably run under Windows NT??.  I would have about
$10,000 for the software.  The ArcInfo software is under site license at GA.
What other software should I get and what out of the above list should I not
get?
 
     Thank you for any information you can send.  You can send this direct to
my address.  I will summarise for MAPS-L and send out the specifications of
what is bought.
 
Johnnie Sutherland
Curator of Maps
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia  USA
 
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