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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?