LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Hope this works. My first attempt at posting a hit. These are the
responses I received on my printer problem. Thanks for all your assistance.
Tracey Rice
Librarian
Jenkins High School Library
Chewelah, WA 99109
gottalovebooks@hotmail.com
Here's my question for the day: How do you handle printing in the library?
Since the Internet is now available for most of my students, the amount of
printer paper being used has skyrocketed!! I have already used 3x the amount
of paper I used for all of last school year!! Our printer is on a server and
all students have immediate access. Also, how do you control students
printing for "personal" use? I have caught students printing jokes from
their E-Mail, video/computer game strategy manuals, etc? I only have 10
computer stations (which are occupied almost every period of every day), but
I am alone here and can't stand over the computers all day!! My recycle box
overflowth as well.. Any suggestions?? The kids want me to get a color
printer and I can only imagine the headache that will cause.
We aren't very popular with the students or the teachers (the tech person
and myself). We often refuse to let students print especially when it is
something they can draw themselves (if it is a picture). Also, we suggest
that they sit and take notes or look for the answers to the specific
questions while they are at the machine. The tech person, bless her heart,
often tells the students that they can find the answers in the books in the
library faster than they can on the Internet!!
We charge ten cents per page. While we use money, some schools use cards
where one simply punches out a star for every page printed and when the
stars on the card are finished the student buys a new one at the student
store or finance office. I do think that students need to be able to print.
That is part of using computers and accessing the Internet.
So if your recycle box is overflowing stack it up and put it back in the
printer. I use recycled paper during the daytime when students are printing
from the internet. Doesn't save on "ink" but sure cuts down on paper use.
Actually the teachers using the library printer are far worse culprits. I
should keep recycled paper in for their use as well. In an elem school
personal printing isn't a problem. I just don't let them out the door with
those kidpix things they try to sneak by.
I have the same problems with an overused printer. I have not tried this
yet, but have thought of removing the paper, except for research classes.
Students would have to ask for paper, and presumably would not press the
print button quite so fast, knowing they might have to justify the reason
for my putting paper in the printer. I have posted everywhere that personal
use of the printer is illegal, but it is ignored sometimes. I also charge 10
cents a page when I catch kids in the act of printing personal stuff.
We have our 12 computers networked to 2 printers. I charge for
printing--20Cents for articles up to 9 pages, 50 cents for articles 10+
pages. I do not charge for word processing done for school assignments. (And
I have been known to give a freebie or two if I know the kids is broke and
needs it.) The printing charges are rather low, but it has cut down on
recreational printing. We also have an AUP that states that the library
computers are for school-related searches. No non-school web-surfing, no
games, no chats, no email (that's a school district policy.) When we find
students printing non-compliant items, it goes in the trash. They have to
see me or my clerk to get what they printed. With toner for our printers at
$100 a cartridge, I can't afford open unlimited printing.
My printers will (hopefully) soon be networked. I've asked the administrator
to configure the printer so it queues (she is still reading the book). My
idea is to print at the end of the day. Students can print 3 pages free then
10 cents per page black and white. Any color page $1.00. Well, let's see if
it works with networking.
For the last five years I have used only paper that has been used once
already.
We, an international School in Bangkok, charge students for printing. Our
point is so that students will be more responsible to what they are
printing. Most of the teachers are supporting us on this too. Teachers who
want students to print for class work should come and let us know before
his/her class come in.
Even a bigger concern than the paper is the price of ink cartridges - on an
inkjet printer that can run to $30.00 a pop! I work in a K-2 school, so we
don't have nearly the problem you have, but now that I have 7 computers and
2 printers, the kids are always wanting to print out their pictures...I only
let them do that if it fits my definition of "creative." I think that our
middle school teachers have to stay with their classes and that helps to
limit it somewhat. Our kids also are not allowed to access their home e-mail
from school and they do not have school e-mail accounts (at least not yet!)
Luckily I have two clerks; but they don't get involved too much with the
printer. Yet, they are there to cover the desk and help people. So anyway, I
allow 5 free sheets. The additional sheets are 10 cents each. Printouts must
be for school assignments. All computer use is for school assignments. They
are not allowed to be in chat rooms, play games, surf, play music, shop. I
post small signs on bookends between the computers. We have 30 computers all
hooked to one printer up at the circ desk. There also is a printer with a
computer at the circ desk for color copies 25 cents each no matter what they
are for. All the rest of the computers print black and white. When I see or
hear the printer printing a lot--I check it out and advise the student it is
5 sheets free. Do you want to pay for the rest? There is a big sign on the
printer about 5 sheets free, etc. Also, when a class comes in, I say they
should raise their hands when they are ready to print...so the teacher or I
can OK it. They then eliminate over printing (a whole web site,etc.). I also
tell them how to copy and paste to word pad or whatever to save paper. This
all may sound strict. Of course we make exceptions. If they need 6 pages or
8 and don't have the money or whatever--they can have it. It just makes them
think and they do think about it. I say-I would hate to see the earth
without any trees in their lifetime. Anyway, I believe the first thing is to
limit what they use the computers for. I established that when I surveyed
LM_NET a few years ago and found out most do the same thing I do. In fact
there were no exceptions as I recall. There just plain is enough to
concentrate on to learn that the kids do not need to play on the computers.
If they were all great students who could read and write well, then yes, I
would let them play. But they need all the learning they can get. Hope it
helps. I think you will find printing is a "problem" all over. Maybe you can
take some solace in that. Our Acceptable Use Policy for the Internet says
educational use only. It comes from our Board of Ed. And that is what I am
basing everything on.
We had the same problem at our ninth grade center. If the student comes in
with a class, he or she must ask permission to print and if it's for that
class, it's free. Any other time and personal information costs 10 cents per
page, the same as a photocopy. We've moved the printer outside of the
computer lab and networked it so I can monitor it. (But it's still on the
honor system) If a student is just printing a paper or an assignment that's
also free. It has cut down on the misuse immensely (?)and the students seem
to agree.
During my orientation and again when giving directions for specific
projects, I remind the students to ask before they print and copies cost 10
cents just like on the copier. Students tend to run for the online sources
thinking they can print for free rather than using the coin-op copier for
books. So I ended that by charging for the printer as well as the copier.
They need to ask before they print so I can help them select only what they
need to print rather than whole, long articles. We either select sections if
possible or copy to the word processor. If they need information for a class
project and a hard copy is required I don't charge for the copier or the
printer, but the students are aware that they could be charged and think
twice about printing. I think the rule about asking before they print helps
cut down on personal things, for which they would pay 10 cents a page. (25
cent for the color printer) This seems to work in Junior high - but senior
high may be more difficult to control.
I have 11 workstations which include the card catalog work stations. Many
years ago I made a 10-page-limit rule. This was before the Internet when
students were printing entire articles from encyclopedias. When the Internet
came along I kept the rule. The only way to enforce it is to keep an eye on
the printer. We have a laser printer at the circ desk. When it starts
printing many pages I check to see who is printing. If they say it was an
"accident" or they "didn't know" I cancel the job before they get 10 pages.
If they are willing to pay for more than 10 pages, it is 10 cents a page. If
they have no money, but promise to pay I put it on the computer as a "fine"
and note it is for paper. They can not get their grade card until they pay
($1.00 or more). We have a color printer but I tell students to do their
color printing in the computer lab. They have more help there to monitor
printers and computers. When the lab was first installed, paper was
unlimited and students could print as much as they wanted. The people that
run the lab have instituted a 10-page limit after learning that students
will waste paper as long as you let them.
We have five computers and 1 printer and a small school. My printer makes
enough noise, that I know when someone is printing. That helps. My
headmaster wanted printing to be free. I tried it for a yr or two. Printing
was too profligate, random and frequent, like yours. Now I am allowed to
charge 5 cents per page over 5 sheets per day! If their paper is six pg.,
they pay one nickel! (same as our copier charge) We are still on the honor
system, and students do get away with more than five per day, but I can't
concern myself. Good guys will try harder to limit pages to 5. Bad guys
never will anyway. Since you have so many computers and constant printing,
maybe you could lower your free ones to 3 or 4. It seems you need to put
SOME kind of limits. Most papers and articles fall 3-5 pg category anyway,
don't they? They can copy and paste wisely from Internet. Valuable, critical
use of the Internet is important and the same goes for printing.
We have the printer is a secure location and the students have to ask for
there printing keep jokes and other things like that down. With only one
person that might be hard but It was done here because this printer is also
for the teacher in near by rooms and some of the stuff they print should not
be seen by students(grades test etc)
Students are not allowed to print without my permission--if they do they
loose computer priviledges. They can have five free copies, then it's ten
cents per page; I generally let them start over every month or so but it's
my judgement call. All copies are included in this (research or personal)
except school work they have typed themselves. I have a color printer, but
it is hooked up to my computer only. If they want a copy in color, they save
it to a disc and fill out a form; it's 50 cents a page and printed at my
convenience. Good luck.
We have 35 computers in our library and printing is indeed a problem. We
tell the kids to cut and paste into a word processing document and they can
then cut down on the white space on a page. We also tell them they can print
5 pages free and then pay 10 cents a page after that. We can't monitor all
of them either, but they have improved and most are honest and will pay for
extra printing. We highly discourage printing anything off Internet
directly.
We and many other schools charge 10 cents per page for print, 25 cents for
pictures, 50 cents for color -- pictures or print! We keep the printer in
the back room, so we have to hand them the pages. Keeps personal to a
minimum if they know we can look at it before they get it! :-) I have signs
on each computer that says "MUST see LMC staff BEFORE printing", I usually
try to save them a couple of cents by cutting and pasting just what they
want to print into Word(tm), that way I can cut out what they don't really
want. They appreciate that, and usually call us over.
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