RE: Yet another example
- Archived: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 22:16:00 -0400 (EDT)
- Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 21:54:32 -0400 (EDT)
- From: Rebekah tanner <foxgull@foxgull.com>
- Subject: RE: Yet another example
- X-topic: Assistance
You say:
"I think that Friday's topic of Assistance fits this subject best. Anybody want to add suggestions about how to use tools and technology to assist in providing public information?"
I want to offer a bit of advice of what NOT to do:
Do not offer old, refurbished equipment to not-for-profit organizations.
For example:
A 486 computer donated to a public library at this point in time is worse than useless.
It cannot handle today's content and will likely need more repair (that they can ill-afford) and have out-of-proportion down-time -- causing patrons to be very frustrated -- than it is worth.
Instead, find an environmentally safe way to recycle the stuff, take a depreciation tax-exemption and offer those funds as a contribution to library -- incourage them to make a matching to the gift -- then the library has to do a public fund-raiser and encourages community involvement. The resulting new computer comes with up-to-date software and a service contract and is truly a tool of use to the public.
>From one who has been there,
Rebekah Tanner
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