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Security guru Bruce Schneier says library wifi makes the world a better place in his interesting piece about leaving wifi networks open:
And I appreciate everyone else who keeps an open wireless network, including all the coffee shops, bars and libraries I have visited in the past, the Dayton International Airport where I started writing this and the Four Points Sheraton where I finished. You all make the world a better place.
I agree. Finding free wifi in an airport is a real treat.
Last post I said I’d love to see a “People LOVE US on Yelp” sticker on a library door. My wish came true. Genesis Hansen, Web Services Librarian at the Newport Beach Public Library wrote me:
You said you’d love to see a yelp sign on a library, so here you go! This is the Newport Beach Public Library in Newport Beach, California. I was really stoked to get the letter and window cling from yelp, and so was my Director. All of our yelp reviews are 4 and 5 stars except one. Our 3-star reviewer complained about the poor wireless connection, but I sent him a message letting him know that we just upgraded our equipment, so I hope he’ll give us another try (can’t help him with the eye candy, though).
It’s great to get good (unsolicited) buzz from our customers, and it’s just one more way we can track how well we’re doing.
Agreed, and excellent work following up with the guy about your wifi. Way to be aware!
Flickr user Don and Kathy Gould also left me a comment on Flickr stating that the Palos Verdes Library District has one. Incidentally, when I checked out the PVLD website, the first thing I noticed was a nice, big MeeboMe widget. Then I noticed a link to their powered by Flickr 40 Families Project.
An inspiring evening. Thanks!
→ Would love to see this on a library!
→ I really appreciate the NPPL staff’s sense of humor.
→ At my local cafe.
I’m so pleased. The NPPL finally has a wireless network up and running. It is blazingly fast. Soon, the entire downtown strip of North Plains is going to be covered by the library’s wireless network. Here’s how it happened.
I would have plugged a wireless router into the network my first week at the library but it wasn’t that simple. Our interwebs come to us via a county sponsored pipe that doesn’t allow wireless networking. Hrm. My options for getting a wireless network up and running were to either bring in a second internet connection or wait for the library coop to offer it as a service to their member libraries. The second option was appealing in certain ways but was going to require a) more time and b) money for some equipment. Enough money to pay for a second internet connection for quite a while, in fact.
NPPL volunteer and North Plains resident Mark Lipscomb owns an IT consulting company called Complete Network Care and naturally is into techie things. One afternoon a few weeks back I was telling him about the situation regarding our lack of wifi and he said his company might be willing to sponsor a DSL connection for the library. I was pretty happy about this! We continued the conversation and I told him about a vision I had for a library sponsored wifi network throughout the main commercial strip of North Plains. His ears perked up and he mentioned that one of his clients, Wireless Applications Consulting, sets up, among other things, big wireless networks. I was very interested in this!
Drew Piriak of Wireless Applications Consuling, Mark and I met at the library the second week of December. We had an easy conversation and brokered a solution that satisfied all parties:
I ran the details past the City Manager, Library Board, and Library Friends (who currently own the library building). Everyone was enthused and on board. The City Manager informed me that the North Plains City Council listed providing wifi downtown as a goal for 2008. Score for the library. The Rogue Pub has agreed to let us put a device on top of their building. Zero red tape, no hassles, easy as pie.
When users log on to the network named “North Plains Public Library” they will be directed to a page thanking them for using the network (that is, reminding them again that it is provided by the library), thanking the sponsors, and listing relevant library resources and news. I’ll likely use Feed2JS to bring in our website’s main feed (and maybe a NPPL new items feed if I can sort that out).
After plenty of doom and gloom about municipal wifi, the subject is enjoying a small resurgence. I think this is possibly the best library project with which I’ve been involved. It is providing a great service to the community, and is a great example of a library being a tech leader. The NPPL is remaining relevant. I’ve already been interviewed by the Oregonian about this and I think the Hillsboro Argus will run a piece too. This is good marketing for the library, and libraries in general.
There’s another exciting possibility. If the network has plenty of active users or the library finds additional funding for more Meraki devices, we’ll consider making inroads into the residential sections of North Plains, spreading the reach of the library even further. There are areas of North Plains that are broadband challenged so this could really solve a problem.
Thanks to all involved for making this happen!
When walking past my neighborhood Powell’s bookstore the other day I got the meet a bunch of their customers.
It made me stop and look. I was interested in the recommendations and the concept of the display, and others stopped to read as well.
Some libraries have done great things letting their customers shine online. See Hennipin County Library’s BookSpace, and the Thomas Ford Memorial Library’s Thommy Ford Abroad. With this Powell’s example we see a physical world example.
What a great move on Powell’s part. It is promoting the organization by promoting the customers. Powell’s gets out of the way and lets customers provide authentic interactions.
This marketing campaign consists of simply providing a means for their customers to have a voice. It is great answer to the oft cited question “How can I help my users kick ass?”
This is the first time I’ve seen an organization at the system or consortial level put out an ad calling for a candidate to help with web presence and social software. Member libraries will benefit from this leadership! The folks at WCCLS are great, so if you fancy a move to the beautiful Pacific Northwest you should go for it.
[Emphasis mine]
Librarian II – Web Services Librarian
Take your career to a new level with Washington County’s Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS). We have a rewarding opportunity within a collegial environment to create original web content pages, user tools and pathfinders for our website, wccls.org. This new position will work collaboratively with public service librarians to customize and enhance the website, monitor and broaden the WCCLS web presence and web reach, manage internal content and training, and implement social interaction tools and other locally significant content for users. Successful candidates will possess related experience within library sciences, MLS preferred.
Washington County offers opportunities for professional growth and a comprehensive benefits package. Pay range is $3,975 – $4,833/month. For more information on this position and to apply on-line, please visit our Human Resources page at www.co.washington.or.us.
Washington County Human Resources
155 N. First Ave., Ste. 270
Hillsboro, OR 97124
