Readings For Week Six

1. Local Area Network Wikipedia- A LAN is a computer network covering a particular area that provides internet or cable. It is used by regular folks for cable and internet and also universities and businesses. I used ethernet to connect to the internet at my undergrad colleges. The dorm I lived in during my senior year had terrible wireless so I had to use ethernet in my room. The co-axial cable I used for my television fell out of the screw thingy on the wall where you put it all the time. I don't know why I could never find one that fit.

2. Computer Network Wiki-A group of interconnected computer networks, which I never would have guessed. Networks allow the computers to communicate with each other about the downfalls of being made of numerous electrical parts. It isn't all rainbows and unicorns being a computer for a business man or college student. There are many ways for the computers to be connected such as through ethernet or wireless. I knew a lot of the basic information about computer networks but the article filled in some gaps such as the various different types of networks and how exactly they are connected. I didn't know a whole lot about the hardware either so that was good to know.

3. Common Types of Networks- This is a video version of the two wikipedia articles, basically summarizing computer networks and how they work with LAN connections.

4. Management of RFID in Libraries- an RFID is a radio frequency identifier which in this case, would mean that books wouldn't have to have barcodes attached to them and would just be waved over a scanner. It would be nice to not have to stick things on books anymore. There is the idea that information like the call number and the title of the book can be stored in the RFID as well. The tags would have to be a little more durable to be used in a library, as they have to be used more than once. It is an interesting idea and an option that could be used by libraries in the future.