I first spoke to Moran Prairie County Library back in September 2016. We
already had the financing for that telescope by then--a couple of friends of
mine (not counting the zoom lens, red dot finder, and other items added to make
them suitable for public use) ponied up.
I didn't get around to ordering the telescopes until December. I handed them
off to Nick in January, shortly before leaving the country. He had them done I
think by March, and we delivered one in May. We still have to deliver the
other one. I know it was four to six months before the Shadle Library
telescope was available to the public AFTER we made that presentation. The
transport container is a good idea, and the library did a great job putting
that together. It encourages better treatment of the equipment.
We anticipate the process will improve as we do more of these. The next ones
in the works are for the Harrison, Idaho library (we may have close to half the
funding for it already) and the Cheney Public Library. David, that zoom
eyepiece is (I think) the second most expensive component--I would greatly
appreciate your help acquiring more of those.
Jenny is trying to get us a sixth library telescope through the Jack Horkheimer
drawing. Which reminds me--I need to order the little brass plates we're going
to mount on these.
Donated by
The Spokane Astronomical Society
www.spokaneastronomy.org
While these are the library telescopes, the library's property, I believe the
plan is that a member of the club will be assigned a telescope for routine
maintenance, cleaning, collimation, and so on. Someone who can periodically
confirm everything is in working order. And we could create an email address
on our web page to which library patrons could send questions. First we have
to consider if there is a really good reason to not do that.
Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 7/3/17, David Luders <LudersDG@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Subject: [SAS] SAS's Orion Starblast 4.5 (Donated to Moran Prairie) Awaiting
"Case" Before Loan-Out
To: "sas" <sas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, July 3, 2017, 1:38 PM
Be advised that the Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro telescope
(donated to the Moran Prairie Branch of the Spokane County
Library District) still has not been "loaned out"
to anyone. A quick search of their online SCLD Catalog
turned up no telescope, so I sent
them a message via their Facebook page (see below).
Although I had nothing to do with the telescope's
modification and donation during the May 13, 2017 event at
Moran Prairie, I am heartened by the Library Telescope
Program. In fact, I procured another Orion
Starblast 4.5 + Celestron 8-24mm Zoom Eyepiece (for another
library donation), if somebody from SAS would be willing
to modify it in the same fashion suggested by the New
Hampshire Astronomical Society (
http://nhastro.com/ltp.php ).
Could the "parents" of the Moran Prairie
telescope contact the library to get it a "protective
case", so that it can be utilized by the general
public? I have seen other libraries simply place the Orion
Starblast in a big Rubbermaid container full of
pillows....
* * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
David
Luders "It's been over
1-1/2 months since the Spokane Astronomical Society donated
a $300 Orion Starblast 4.5 telescope to the Moran Prairie
Library for loan-out -- when
will it be added to the catalog so that folks can check it
out? There was a lot of time and effort put into the
telescope modifications, and it's (apparently) met with
indifference by
SCLD...."
· Reply
·
21
hrs
Spokane
County Library District "
Hello,
David. The telescope was provided without a protective case.
We have reached out to other libraries to see what cases may
offer the protection
and durability we are looking for so that the telescope
isn't damaged during travel while checked out. We can
promise that it isn't indifference but care and caution
that is going into the solution for this problem. If you
would like to discuss details or
offer suggestions, you are welcome to call us at
509-893-8200."
