Debbie--

The InfoLab at Memorial Library at the UW-Madison has an interesting setup.
I found it really irritating when it started but was quickly converted by
its simplicity.

All of its ~90 PCs are on the LAN.  One (very much older) PC is off to the
side, between two laser printers, each with its own vendacard reader.  The
old PC has a program on it that keeps track of documents that users send to
the printers from the PCs via the network.  (I'm sure this isn't an
expensive or hard-to-find program.)  Users send their documents by printing
them normally to those printers, then walk over to the printers.  They
locate their printing job (each one is shown in a queue column, listed by
name of machine that sent it) on the old PC's screen, drag it with a mouse
into the column on the screen for the printer they want to use, stick in
their vendacard, and the printing job starts.

People are usually confused initially, and expect to have to insert their
card before sending the printing job, but simple instructions posted around
the room help.  I like it because it lets me decide the moment when I start
printing, and therefore is nice for printing resumes--it gives me time to
load my pretty paper!  I'm sure it doesn't waste as much paper as free
printing does, either.

Hope this helps.  For more information, contact the UW-Madison Division of
Information Technology at http://www.wisc.edu/doit/dofeed.html (for a
forms-based email) or the Memorial Library Infolab at (608) 265-3017.

Jennifer Friedman
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    _---_       Jennifer Friedman      WIPRO Librarian      BayMoo, IPLMoo:

   { . . }      6832 Schroeder Rd. #28 2909 Landmark Place  Gillyflower
   _( Y )_      Madison, WI  53711     Madison, WI  53713
 (_)_   _(_)    (608) 274-4492         (608) 274-1940 x 316
   (_)-(_)      jennifer@mailbag.com   drjoe@mailbag.com

            http://www.mailbag.com/users/jennifer/jennifer.index.html

            Purveyor of information services.  All-around people person.
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Debbie Harrell wrote:
>We currently have 24 computers attached to our LAN and have three
>printers.  Because all prints are "free" to the patrons, they are killing
>us with their copying.
>We already use the Easycard Vendacard machines attached to our regular
>copiers and are planning on using these same units on our
>computers/printers.  Does anyone have any experience of how this works?
>We are afraid that 1) Unless we have a vendacard reader attached to each
>computer, one patron will ultimately get charged for another patrons
>copies.  2) Having a vendacard reader on each computer will not be
>cost-effective.
>Any experience, good or bad....