CD Rom Multiple Use

[Pat Gail Sebastian <pgs@TENET.EDU>]

I am the librarian at a new intermediate school (gr. 5 & 6) which will
open this fall (actually this summer since school starts Aug. 15). The
building is networked and has computers in very classroom. We will have
an automated library system and a CD Rom server for 7 CDs (all MAC). I am
now in the process of ordering software. I am pretty clear on the network
situation with software (I say pretty clear because network versions of
most software allow for approx. 50 users and I assume that we won't have
more than 50 users at one time). Since there will be over 1000 5th & 6th
graders all needing basically the same materials, I figure we will need
network versions of just about all the software we get. Now comes the
question. What is the situation on CD Roms The system will allow access
to any CD Rom from different computers at the same time. Do I have to
have a site license? Network version? to use these on multiple stations?
So far the companies I have talked to (World Book, Grolier, Compton's)
say they do not have Mac network versions of their products. They do,
because I have seen it work. What is the deal that they don't know  how
their product works?  Since we have the network, these resources
need to be used on the network. What is the situation? One salesman has
suggested that we buy multiple copies of their product to protect
ourselves. There must be a more appropriate way. Has anyone run into this
problem? I need to kmow, because the number of resources I can buy will
be determined by how expensive this multi-use will end up being.
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*       Pat Sebastian           Alief I.S.D.            *
*       Librarian               6900 Turtlewood         *
*       Owens Intermediate      Houston, TX 77072       *
*       pgs@tenet.edu           Phone: 713-293-8015     *
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