Reading Notes #5

LAN 
I have heard the term LAN before, especially in terms of LAN PARTIES, that computer geeks attend to play games. Plus, sometimes it says on the bottom of Windows machines LAN Not Detected, or something similar. According to this article, this also includes ethernet, which I had not realized was a part of this local area network. Using this all through college before wireless internet was available allowed all students to be connected to the school's server/internet. Both ethernet and Wifi create this local area network among a specific group, be it a party or a whole university (which could be debated, is a party). It is a critical part of how we connect to technology in the 21st century, and I think most people who use computers and connect to the internet don't think about what a LAN is, or even need to know, until the connection is lost. 


Computer Network
A computer network is "is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communications channels that allow sharing of resources and information." If I understand this article correctly, a LAN is a type of computer network, and there are also personal area networks and home networks, which can also facilitate DSL TV.  A computer network allows us as users to send messages, files of documents/images, even making phone calls. There are campus networks, like I cited above, and other networks I had never heard of before, like a backbone network. There are also different configurations of networks, something I think as a single user, did not realize, including a bus, star, or ring network layouts. Routers and firewalls were also familiar terms, but I did not know anything about switches and bridges, devices that work "behind the scenes." A big factor in computer networks is security. This is a big topic that surely has its own wikipedia page that was not discussed here, and I can't say I am anything near an expert on that! 


Management of RFID in Libraries
In this article by Karen Coyle in 2005, she addresses the use of RFIDs in libraries. RFIDs are radio frequency identifiers of a computer chip with an antenna that had contain information about the book as well as location. They are used in other industries, like livestock and warehouses, to keep track of many objects. The question in this article is its use in libraries. It could help manage large collections and tracking individual items.  Anyone who has gone to look for a book by its call number, only to find out that it has been reported as missing, is very disappointed. Coyle cites circulation and security as two library functions that could be assisted with the use of RFIDS. It would be possible to know if a book had been checked out or just taken from the building if they were used. She also questions its "return on investment" or ROI of these devices. It depends, however, how much these devices make the check out process easy and placed on the user, so that a circulation staff would no longer be required, saving the library tons on salaries. However, the books would still need to be reshelved when they were returned. Coyle gives both pros and cons for this possibility. In conclusion, she advises readers not to ignore this new technology, and to see how it can help libraries become more efficient.