> The question has arisen among academic librarians attending continuing
> education/summer courses and conferences at other sites as to how they may
> keep in touch with home base electronically if they 1) lack an account with
> a commercial service and their home base offers no 800 number and also if
> they 2) lack a portable machine with a modem.
>
> Are there any evolving conventions at various institutions for dealing with
> this situation?  Is the situation different at every spot in the universe?
> What does your institution do when wandering scholars - and librarians -
> show up, begging?
>
> My sense is that this is an area currently full of potholes and badly in
> need of some general understandings.
>
There are many differences depending on the technology at home and away.  The
best possible situation that I have found, is that at the away facility there
is a public terminal room which will allow me to telnet back to my home
system.  I would recommend that users obtain accounts on commercial systems,
e.g. mcimail, compuserv.  Most times accessing these services requires only a
local call and finding a friend with a computer and modem is fairly easy these
days.  The commercial services are not very expensive for a few months' use.
 
-phil
 
> Kathryn Wright
> Indiana State University
> LIBKAT@INDST or [log in to unmask]
>
 
 
--
     J. Philip Miller, Professor, Division of Biostatistics, Box 8067
	 Washington University Medical School, St. Louis MO 63110
     [log in to unmask] - Internet  (314) 362-3617 [362-2694(FAX)]