Userful Case Study: Coquitlam Public Library

Userful Desktop™ for Libraries - Creating Solutions for 21st Century Challenges

The Library
Coquitlam sits in the heart of the Lower Mainland on the west coast of British Columbia -- one of the fastest-growing regions in Canada. The city boasts an ethnically diverse population and prides itself on being a good place to raise a family. The public library, with almost 80,000 patrons in a city of 113,000, is a source of civic pride.

The Need
Like many North American libraries, Coquitlam’s public access program depended on a fleet of aging computers bought on grants that didn’t provide funds for their upkeep or replacement. By 2003 the computers purchased between 1996 and 1999 had become a drain on staff time and energy. Years of hard use and tight budgets meant machines were regularly out of action. Just keeping them in working order was a full-time job.

As if that weren’t enough, a few patrons were misusing Coquitlam’s computers. People changed screen-savers, altered system files, added and deleted applications. A few computers were even vandalized. Coquitlam’s public access program had become a burden on librarians and on the IT staff. They began looking for a better way to do things.

The Solution
At the 2003 American Library Association conference, Systems Supervisor Nancy Collins visited the Userful booth and was impressed by Userful Desktop -- a turnkey solution. The system included all the software a patron could ask for (full office suite, graphics editor, web browser and email client) as well as all the necessary public access management tools and security features (session timer, print cost recovery options, privacy protection, web filtering and an optional PC booking and reservation module). Its ability to power up to ten stations from a single box made it financially attractive, and the fact Userful fully supports all the hardware and software ensured they would always have the most up-to-date computers and applications.

In September 2003 CPL installed its first 6 terminal system. The fact all terminals shared a single computer allowed them to secure the computer box to prevent vandalism. Userful’s locked down desktop prevented unwanted downloads and accidental or deliberate damage to the operating system. The time management software and session limits ensured equitable access to the computers and reduced time spent by library staff policing time sheets and sign-up sheets.

Userful Desktop freed systems staff from constantly supporting the public access stations enabling them to focus on supporting other library applications. The system’s multi-lingual capabilities (it supports over 30 languages) offered Coquitlam’s many non-English speaking patrons computer access in their first languages.

In December 2003 Coquitlam purchased Userful Desktop for all their public access stations across their library system.

The Future
Userful Desktop has allowed Coquitlam’s librarians to go back to being librarians. Coquitlam’s IT staff were nominated for the inaugural Brett Butler Award for their work solving the library’s public computer woes.

Coquitlam’s technology future is looking rosy. In the words of Karen Harrison, Director of CPL, “Because Userful Desktop* includes ongoing maintenance, software and hardware replacement we can keep the system current without an excessive drain on our budget.”

With worries like computer tampering, out of date machines, downtime and vandalism behind them, Coquitlam is moving forward.

Userful Case Study: Coquitlam Public Library (PDF - 119KB)