Our Plan for a Wireless Loan Service

Published

March 1, 2003

Author(s)

Nancy Allmang

Abstract

The article would describe, from a librarian's standpoint, what one library has done to gear up for a wireless LAN. It would discuss specific steps the library has taken to get a Wireless Equipment Loan Service up and running.It would explain a dual program that aims to provide wireless LAN access for library users in two ways-one conventional and one not. [Conventional: We will lend wireless laptops or PC cards to those who wish to settle down in comfortable spots and search, work, save and access files to and from their office desktops. Innovative: We will lend Pocket PCs/expansion packs/wireless compact flash cards to those who want even greater portability. We aim to work with users to come up with the very best solutions for gathering information. At this time we also are considering loans of pen text scanners, portable keyboards, and wireless presentation hardware.]The article would address issues of user and staff training, hardware and software technical support, equipment management and storage, software maintenance, policy preparation, user guides and documentation, and wireless printing. It would suggest ways of getting around limitations imposed by the tiny 320 x 240-dot screens of Pocket PCs.Please clarify something about the project your article would describe: What stage is it in? Are you still planning it? Are you in the middle of it? Or is it completely over, allowing you to discuss the results and evaluations?As this is being written late in October 2002, the project is in the late planning phase. Wireless laptops, wireless ethernet cards, iPAQ H3970s, expansion packs, compact flash cards, and a secure storage cabinet have been purchased. Access points are up and installation of the wireless LAN is approximately 50 % complete. Laptops are being configured and iPAQ web surfing tested with an internet connection. Business and Implementation Plans, Circulation Policies, and Responsibility Forms are nearly complete; QuickStart and Instruction Guides are being written.

Citation

Computers in Libraries (CIL)

Volume

23

Issue

No. 3

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

libraries, NIST, NIST Research Library, wireless LAN, wireless local area network, wireless network

Citation

Allmang, N. (2003), Our Plan for a Wireless Loan Service, Computers in Libraries (CIL) (Accessed April 20, 2024)