----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Chris, I thought I would respond to the LIST rather than to you alone the discussion might generate some ideas. Last year, at about this time I brought up the 486 that I was allowed to buy through the ARL/GIS Project focus as a server. It is running 10 user Novell 3.1.1 network software. It is providing access to spatial information around the UConn campus LAN. The year has been interesting, both in terms of concepts of a Virtual Map Library and how it really is done, successes, failures, etc. First of all, I wanted to take advantage of the fundemental nature of electronic information and not limit it to use in one place by one person. I also wanted to deal with the fundemental nature of libraries as I see it; acquiring information, describing it and providing access to it. Finally I wanted to integrate spatial information into the scholar's workstation and that meant getting it to the scholar's workstation. We (Dan Huang, a grad student programmer) began by setting the network up in a rather orthodox manner, users by name or IP address. Unfortunately that meant we had to know who the user is. And we don't. We evolved to generic users. At this time we have four "users" MAPUSER, MAP_WIN, MAP_DOS, RESEARCHER, and IDRISI. MAPUSER is a Windows based Program Manager which includes AutoRoute USA and Europe, MapExpert and ArcViews of the eight counties of Connecticut's '90 census data by tract and block group. We have subdivided the census data by population and housing and refined each to about 30 variables. MAPUSER is always "up" on the map library and is available in the general reference area. It is designed to be used by the undergrad, or general reference user. MAP-WIN and MAP_DOS are MapInfo for Windows and MapInfo for DOS. In each the user logs into the program, M_W for higher end workstations, M_D for lower end. (M_D was and interesting evolution. The spatial info was wanted by the School of Business who don't typically have graphic workstations, but do have 286 and 386 on the LAN. They bought the 5 seats of M_D, put it in the Map and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC) LAN and use the program data.) The data, both statistical/demographic and cartographic is on the MAGIC server in LC call number order. Catalog copy for these will be added this summer. MAGIC is also an FTP site, magic.lib.uconn.edu, and the data can be downloaded that way. Please try it and give me feedback. Remember, it's just Dan and me so it it breaks or is clunky let me know, I'm trying... The data is ZIPPED which forces the user to bring it the their own machines, which is also and evolution. I discussed in an earlier message about how we were using TMT53 to extract TIGER data as coverages and convert those coverages to MapInfo format. That is what you will find on MAGIC/FTP, also some 1990, 1980 and 1970 census data for Connecticut at the tract and town levels. I have two copies of M_W and 5 copies of M_D, one copy of Idrisi. Each are limited to those numbers of users in the Novell Script. I have ten user site licenses of AutoRoute and MapExpert. This summer will be cataloging, tying up loose ends and maybe upgrading to a Pentium motherboard and adding three 1.2 Gbyte harddrives. Also getting around campus to LAN adminstrators and users to learn about configurations and so on. A lot of sitting in others seats and, I'm sure, learning to appreciate the library's air conditioning. Clearing the teaching component is next. Discussion?