[WEB4LIB] RE: The Wireless Future of Library Computing

[Karen G. Schneider]

As Joyce noted, adding connectivity to older buildings is one good use
of wireless.  

Having done expensive Cisco wireless and low-cost home wireless with
Netgear, I'd say the former is pricey and Cisco's interface had some
lame-o issues (including some surprisingly dumb problems), but it worked
well, had (theoretically) good security approaches, and the range was
excellent.  On the other hand, Netgear was cheap, had no lame-o
interface issues, and was up and running.  Beyond my two neighbors (nice
folks but strictly analog), the only folks who could tap into this
network would be squirrels or hummingbirds with laptops, and even in the
Bay Area we're not seeing those... yet.  (Not even squirrels with cell
phones, and that DOES surprise me...)

In a former job, I had a job estimate of tens of thousands of dollars to
bring in one or two drops into an important area of the library that had
no drops (and do it right, as in cosmetically acceptable to the powers
that be).  With wireless, that job was done for $1,000, even with pricey
Cisco hardware, and the decision about where that computer would sit was
far, far more flexible, limited only by flexibility (I recall making our
electrician giggle by asking him when we would see wireless electricity
so I could plug in the computers anywhere I felt like).  For that
particular use, I might even go even farther down the chain these days
and use the same el-cheapo but functional Netgear stuff I'm using here. 

The security issues are indeed worth investigating, but in context.  In
the case of the lone computer above, what we had to ask ourselves was
whether John Ashcroft or bin Laden were going to crouch in the bushes
outside and read the OPAC searches as they happened.  Actually, I
wouldn't put that past John Ashcroft, but at least six months out of the
year, at this library, you'd be looking for someone in a parka, glove,
and hat, lying in barren weeds... or perhaps an unmarked van that always
parked near that window... eventually he'd have to use the restroom...
and then we could have sent in our own spies to do some
counter-espionage.  

Not only user needs but preferences should be thought through.  If
students expect to be able to gather in informal study groups, or if
librarians expect to be able to set up their training labs in any room,
with wireless laptops, then "let them eat Cat5e" isn't enough... 

Thought: if you can put the public users OUTSIDE your library network,
and hang a few warchalking signs, you could encourage group study
activities wherever two or more students gather in education's name.  Or
goofing off... I believe the college years are useful for that, as well.

We don't need to conclude that Wireless is The Future to say that right
now, wireless in libraries can be (but isn't necessarily) gosh-darn
useful, cost-effective, access-enhancing, and fun.  Like anything else,
make a list of pros and cons, costs and benefits, etc. And my day job
too calleth...

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Karen G. Schneider kgs at lii.org  http://lii.org 
Coordinator, Librarians' Index to the Internet
lii.org  New This Week:     http://lii.org/ntw 
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