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Results are in! (Public PC survey)

Survey A big THANK YOU to everyone who weighed in on the Public PC survey!  We know you are probably "survey weary"  (cluster elections, Koha training evals, etc), and we really appreciate all of your feedback. 

The tech team is now meeting to review the results and begin planning for the next generation of public PCs. Although we don't have a crystal clear picture yet, some trends and suggestions that came out of the survey have definitely given us a better idea of what we should include and improve.

Results from the survey about SCLS Public PCs can be viewed here with a few hightlights below.

Uses for Public PCs
Results indicate patron PCs are used pretty heavily for Internet browsing, social media, email, games, Office applications, and filling out job applications. Some of the uses we didn't list but which were mentioned by respondents include: watching movies, burning CDs, instant messaging, Skype, and getting credit reports.  Some staff noted that patrons don't scan because their library does not have scanning capabilities.

Gadgets that patrons bring in to interact with public PCs
The 3 "biggies" in this category were iPods, other MP3 players, and digital cameras.

Privacy and security
Responses for this question indicated both physical and technological concerns about privacy and security.  Some patrons are concerned about others being able to see what they are doing and where they are going while they are using the PC.  Some patrons are concerned about others having access to their private information, browsing history, credit card or bank information on the PC after they are done using it.

Unmet needs and desired features
The "patron needs that are currently unmet" and "desired features, applications, and services for public PCs" overlapped quite a bit (which makes perfect sense!).  Some of the needs/features identified include:  scanners, photo and video editing software, downloading ebooks and music, right-clicking, better support for cameras & USB drives, and consistency in programs, shortcuts and versions of software among PCs.

Next Steps: A plan for SCLS-supported public PCs will go before the Tech Committee on 10/13. Stay tuned for more details!

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