Instead of a "library: being carted back and forth", it may be possible to achieve similar result by having some kind of online exchange coordination application with features such as: if one has something they can lend out, they can register their items if one wants something, they can request from the list, or make a new item request if they can agree to pass on they can organise to meet at a LUV meeting (or elsewhere) and exchange (Any coder? - I'd do it if no one wants to, but it wont be until sometime next year) Although, for hardware items, I'd think items would tend to be more long term usage than a book. Once a book has been read and the info gathered, the book can be passed on. But its not necessarily the same for hardware items. Daniel. On 03/12/11 09:58, Russell Coker wrote:
We have a library which is apparently working well.
I think that the next logical step would be to establish a small hardware library. There are lots of items which have mass and volume that is less than or equal to books which can be really handy to have, often available for free, but which are unreasonably difficult or expensive if you need to buy them.
I think that if we had a library which had an assortment of RAM, some video cards, a few IDE and SATA hard drives, and a good quantity of each of the sizes of screw that is used in a PC case then it would provide real value for members while not being a huge effort for someone to bring to the meeting (a small bag that could be carried in one hand - even on public transport).
For extra value (and a little more transportation effort) we could have a selection of cables (power, Ethernet, USB, IDE->SATA power converters, etc), a couple of PSUs (for SATA and pre-SATA systems), and some motherboards with CPUs (I was recently offered a free motherboard with a quad-core CPU). That would take it to one box that could be carried from a car boot to the meeting without much effort. If it was going to be two boxes then a selection of power-brick PSUs would be a great thing to have (I've got a Wifi AP with a dead PSU, I would love to be able to plug it into a few PSUs and see if I can get it to work).
If I was going to be attending regularly I'd run this myself. But as I haven't been attending regularly I think it would be best if it was run by someone else. I can provide a good portion of the hardware described to start this off. Some of that hardware is stuff I keep because I might need it some day, but that I would give away if I could have a reasonable chance of getting something equivalent back if I ever need it.
Any volunteers?
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