[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-434565-105":3,"doc-detail-434565-en":81,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":99},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","when-computers-get-too-smart-dumbing-down-the-library-pc","When Computers Get Too Smart - Dumbing Down the Library PC","","Discusses how rapid changes in library technology, especially client-server systems and public access terminals, have increased security risks in Windows and DOS-based environments. Explains how web browsers can be used to exit restricted modes, enabling misuse. Argues that libraries should lock down public PCs while keeping procedures manageable for staff, and highlights Fortres 101 as an example of security software that controls many aspects of Windows usage.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/when-computers-get-too-smart-dumbing-down-the-library-pc/434565/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/when-computers-get-too-smart-dumbing-down-the-library-pc/434565.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mary Man","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why do libraries need to lock down public computers?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Client-server technology and web browsers have made public terminals easier to misuse, with users able to exit standard browser restrictions and reach the desktop to cause harm. Libraries need controls to prevent misuse and abuse.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How did dumb terminals traditionally work in libraries?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Dumb terminals served as the public access catalog with minimal local processing. They connected to a main server that held information, processed requests, and sent results back for display.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What is Fortres 101 and what can it control?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Fortres 101 is security software that restricts many aspects of Windows operation, including preventing boot interruption, exiting Windows, accessing DOS prompts, altering the appearance, installing or running unspecified programs, and limiting file access actions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},434565,1792166898,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",{"doc_id":79,"user_id":84,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":85,"doc_module":4,"category_id":86,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":87,"file_id":88,"file_url":89,"file_type":90,"file_size":91,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":92,"language":93,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":94,"faqs":95,"seo_title":96,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":97,"read_time":98,"preview_page_count":4},7421720224475,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c",7,"Volume 40,Number 2  \n# When Computers Get Too Smart:Dumbing Down the Library PC\n\nAmy Terlaga  \nRevolutionary changes sweepingthrough libraries in recent years haveleft many librarians scrambling.Scrambling for help,for technologicalexpertise,and for lack of these twothings,scrambling for the door.Client-server technology has brought thesmart computer terminal through ourdoors.And along with it,many stress-related headaches.  \nWhat many librarians are now discov-ering is a need to lock down thesesmart computers,in a sense,to dumbthem down again to prevent potentialmisuse and abuse.For at least 15years,the dumb terminal served as thepublic access catalog for automatedlibraries.Lttle more than a screen anda keyboard,the processing power onthese terminals was minimal.Theyconnected to the main server,a com-puter that actually held the informa-tion,processed it,and sent it back tothe dumb terminal to be displayed forthe user.With the advent of client-server technology in libraries,softwarewas specifically designed to allow thePAC,i.e.,the client,to do some of theprocessing itself.Now that the Internethas become a dominant force in infor-mation technology,web browsers arefast becoming the PAC client ofchoice among library software design-ers.  \nUnfortunately,web browsers do nothave much security embedded in theirdesigns.If a user wants to quit out ofthe standard web browser,all he needsto do is go to File,then Exit and he isat the desktop.A whole Windows  \n# CONNECTICUTLIBRARIESA Publicalion ofThe Connecticut Library Assoclation\n\nworld awaits for wreaking havoc wher-ever one chooses.This is also true of anumber of other Windows and DOS-based software application programs.Many libraries have learned this thehard way.It's anyone's guess why li-brary patrons get themselves into allsorts of PC trouble;but the“why”re-ally doesn't matter.The point is that ithappens and will continue to happenwith alarming frequency unless the li-brary takes measures to lock its publicPCs down as well as they can withoutimposing too many complicated oper-ating procedures on staff.  \nThe most frequently used security soft-ware among libraries is Fortres.Theirweb page(www.fortres.com)describesthe Fortres 101 product as follows:“Fortres 101 allows complete controlover every aspect of Windows opera-tion.Prevent users from interruptingboot process;exiting Windows;access-ing a DOS prompt;adding,moving,ordeleting icons;altering anything aboutthe appearance of Windows;installing,copying or downloading software;run-ning any programs not specified by ad-ministrator;using low level systemtools;changing printer configurations;changing screen saver configurations;erasing important system files;savingfiles on the hard disk;and even look-ing at files on the hard disk.All ofthese features are available in thissingle,menu driven,easy to use,ex-tremely flexible application.\"One ofthe best features of this software is theease with which librarians can tempo-rarily disable all security on Fortres ifthey need to install new software ormodifiy existing programs.Continued on page 7  \nFebruary 1998  \n# Looking at Books\n\nDigital Literacyby Paul Gilster  \nA review by Vince Juliano  \nAgents and AggregatorsIn the June 10,1997 issue of PCMagazineeditor Jake Kirchnerreflected on his participation in apanel discussion titled,\"Agents vsAggregators.\"The terms refer totwo different approaches to pub-lishing.Traditional“contentaggregators\"are writers and editorswho collect information,organizeit,and present it to their readers inways that promote understanding:magazines,newspapers,andbooks.However,we are enteringan era of“information disaggrega-tion,\"dominated by the WorldWide Web,virtual reality,and\"agent\"software.  \nIf you are unfamiliar with the term\"agent,\"imagine a reference li-brarian who knows you very well,who is there whenever you needhelp finding information,and whodelivers exactly what you want inshort order,except the agent issoftware,not flesh and blood.Inthis incipient world,an","cbCair19lqBPe2lq","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCair19lqBPe2lq","pdf",2637238,9,"English","# When Computers Get Too Smart\n## Dumbing Down the Library PC\n## Library PC security and Fortres 101\n# Looking at Books\n## Agents and Aggregators\n# Faith Hektoen Award: New Focus","[{\"question\":\"Why do libraries need to lock down public computers?\",\"answer\":\"Client-server technology and web browsers have made public terminals easier to misuse, with users able to exit standard browser restrictions and reach the desktop to cause harm. Libraries need controls to prevent misuse and abuse.\"},{\"question\":\"How did dumb terminals traditionally work in libraries?\",\"answer\":\"Dumb terminals served as the public access catalog with minimal local processing. They connected to a main server that held information, processed requests, and sent results back for display.\"},{\"question\":\"What is Fortres 101 and what can it control?\",\"answer\":\"Fortres 101 is security software that restricts many aspects of Windows operation, including preventing boot interruption, exiting Windows, accessing DOS prompts, altering the appearance, installing or running unspecified programs, and limiting file access actions.\"}]","When Computers Get Too Smart - Dumbing Down the Library PC | PDF",1790669849,23,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":100},[101,105,109,113,117,122,125,130,134,137,141],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":114,"show_sort_weight":115,"slug":116},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":86,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":124},40,"healthcare",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":127,"show_sort_weight":128,"slug":129},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":92,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":131,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":133},"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":135,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":136},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":138,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":139,"show_sort_weight":138,"slug":140},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":142,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":143,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":144},19,"General","general"]