The Wires are gone, now for the Restrictions

Is your library wireless friendly? And why not? It is the way we communicate and work now. People are less attached to desktops as sales suggest, with laptop and other mobile devices taking off. Yes, we are a mobile society in more ways than one.

It can be a frustrating process for customers connecting to your wireless network, if they can at all. First they need to timidly approach the librarian and beg for a password. They are then greeted by a generic and sterile launch page. Finally, they have access to a filtered internet experience, of snail pace speed, which may not be able to reach all ends of the library.

Half way through typing their assignment, they realise that the laptop is running low on battery life!! My God, where is a powerpoint? They eventually end up plugging in with the powercord at maximum stretch in an ideal situation for a busy, unwary librarian to trip over. OMG the OHS issues!

And finally after all of your hard work you need to print out the hard copy result. “I’m sorry sir, you cannot print from the wireless network”.

What can libraries do to facilitate this surge in mobile technology?

• make access easier:  autologon, no passwords
• purchase work stations with powerpoints built in, plus abundant outlets in walls
• allow printing from the network
• ensure stong signal throughout building
• ensure all staff knowledgable if troubleshooting required.
• purchase comfortable seating, as everybody does not want to sit at a desk
• increase bandwidth

Here is another example of  customer friendly, not routine based services, that are tailored to the needs of the user, and not on how the system can block, block, block.