"The six branches of the Howard County Library system in Maryland provide 300 computers to their clients. This week, every computer has been upgraded from a 'homegrown' Linux kernel, to Groovix, an Ubuntu Linux derivative.
"Amy Begg De Groff, the library's IT director, says Howard County libraries are well supported by its patrons. "We get very gracious funding from the county residents, but the majority of the money goes to [book] collections and payroll. So the funding just doesn't keep up with our IT needs." Because of that, five years ago, the library was exploring alternatives to Microsoft Windows and its steep licensing fees..."
