Choose the right station type for your library

Userful Desktop™ (formerly DiscoverStation) runs on a variety of hardware — yours or ours, with one work station per computer or many. We can even work with many thin client devices.

Hardware options

Station options
ImageTurn one computer into 10 - Save on hardware costs and help the environment. Up to 10 independent stations from 1 high-powered PC. ImageStaff Stations - Easy to manage stations for circulation and reference.
ImageInstall on a single computer - Convert your existing PCs to Userful Desktop or purchase a “Single User” computer with Userful Desktop pre-installed. ImageCatalog - Lock down all your OPACs with the click of one button
ImageUse thin client hardware - Hook a thin client device up directly to a Userful Desktop. ImageAccess for Kids - Safe, fun, educational.

Single-user or multi-user hardware

Turn one computer into ten

  • Userful's Multi-User software and hardware allows you to connect up to ten independent workstations to a single high-powered computer. Learn more about how this saves costs, improves the environment and makes your life easier.

or install on your existing PCs

  • If you don't need to replace your current hardware, you can still use Userful Desktop by installing it on your existing hardware as single-user. You get all the benefits of a fully-supported, complete public computer software package while extending the life of existing PCs. You can also purchase Single-User Userful Desktop pre-installed on hardware from Userful.

Drive thin clients with Userful Desktop

Userful Desktop beats thin clients in both staff time savings and performance for the end user. If you do have thin client hardware, though, you may still be able to use it.

Userful Desktop supports many thin client devices, allowing you to serve up Userful Desktop's public computing environment over your existing thin client network. You can also run extra thin client seats from your existing Userful Desktop pod. Ask your Userful Representative for more details on this option.

OPAC

ImageUserful makes it easy to deploy stations to access your catalog and other databases. The Userful Manager admin site offers a pre-configured kiosk option, limiting access to a full screen web browser. You can further limit access in one of two ways

  • Use Userful Manager to remove the URL field and allow patrons to follow any links they find in your catalog and databases.
  • Use the Walled Garden feature in the filtering section of the web portal. This will limit access to a predefined set of URLs ensuring that even if your catalog links to a search engine, your patrons cannot follow it.

Remember to ask about our special discount pricing for Catalog-only stations.

Read more about how Prince George Public Library & Johnson County Library have used our OPAC stations.

Safe and fun access for kids

ImageUserful Children's Desktops are fully loaded with educational, recreational and reference software for children.

Children's Desktops provide customizable access to a selection of over 30 age-appropriate edutainment programs. There are also games and optional access to whitelisted child-friendly web sites. Age-related Session Profiles guide children to the activities suitable for them.

Userful Children's Desktops includes everything you need for safe computer and internet access for kids. Your staff will no longer need to manage and maintain collections of CD-ROMs.

Librarians can add web-based games and sites using Userful's secure filtering. This allows you to introduce a whitelist of safe pages for kids confident that they can visit no other pages on the Internet.

The Walled Garden

Use Userful Manager to set up a whitelist-only filter to prevent patrons from visiting web sites that are not on the list. This is ideal for both OPAC and Kids stations. Userful Manager also lets you put graphical icons on the desktop for each web site, making it easy for children to find links to fun and educational sites.

Single-User Userful DesktopImage

You have two options with Single-User Userful Desktop. You can install it on your existing hardware or you can purchase stand-alone computers from us with Userful Desktop pre-installed.

Your stations will have all the features that have made Userful famous. Over 40 applications in over 40 languages, locked down and secure, ready for any use from gaming to word processing to multimedia. You have all the same time and print management options and still manage all your stations on our admin site. The only difference is the number of patrons working from one computer. And it's easy to have a mixed environment with some Single-User and some Multi-User systems.

"We've been using Single User Userful Desktop for a year now and have about 30 seats spread throughout Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. It's easy to install on any hardware and it includes all the software we need to run our public computers. Userful supports the software, I control everything through Userful Manager. It's intuitive to use and saves a whole lot of headaches."

Stephen Warren, Systems,
Vancouver Island Regional Library

Staff stations

The staff desktop environment mirrors the look and feel of the patron computers, including a full suite of office software and Internet applications. They also have access to back-end integrated library management systems through terminal emulation, thin-client, and web-based protocols.

Staff Station provides access to critical business functions for library reference staff. They also support Dual View improving staff productivity and ability to support and assist patrons with simplicity and security.

Circulation stations connected to a central Userful Desktop computer box support standard USB barcode and magnetic stripe readers, standard USB receipt printers, and access to a variety of back-end terminal servers.

Userful staff stations are:

  • Simple – Access web- and terminal-based applications and services from one computer
  • Flexible – Access ILS and other backend systems in addition to assisting patrons with Userful Desktop's rich desktop applications
  • Affordable – Add, replace or upgrade Staff stations for less than the cost of a PC or terminal

Contact Userful today to find out more about how Userful can enhance your public computing program.