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	Report on the Informal Focused Discussion: "Wireless Networks" -Presenters- Mary Piorun, Sandra Rothenberg, & Janice G. Schuster at Rivier College, Nashua, NH by Olga Verbeek, Salve Regina University
August 31, 2001

Laptops and Wireless at the Lamar Soutter Library, UMASS Medical Center
Presented by: Mary Piorun
Systems Librarian,
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA

The library has been wired for wireless for two years. Laptops followed, and at the moment 30 laptops (IBM ThinkPads and Apple Powerbooks) are available for borrowing at reserves. The laptops are barcoded, stored and recharged here. There are policies in place including user agreement, instruction sheet and checkin procedure. Holds are not allowed to be placed on the laptops.

There has been a transition on how laptops are actually used to how it was envisioned that they would be used. It was envisioned as a research tool within the library where there is Internet access through the wireless network. They are finding that besides these uses the laptops are used for presentations, group work and exam studying. Someone even tried to use the laptop in a exhibit in the medical center outside the library and could not understand that the laptop didnot have an Internet connection in the hallway where there were no wireless access points. The length of time that the laptop can be borrowed has increased to one week. Instead of in-library use on battery only, the laptop is allowed to leave the library and comes with a carrying case and electrical power connection. This is a new development and is proving to be very popular.

Here are two links to a presentation that Mary Piorum gave in May of 2000 at the MLA meeting. She indicates that it is a bit outdated, since they have made a number of changes.

Laptops: No Dragon Wires with Wireless Technology by Mary Piorun, Mary Ann Slocomb & Debbie Sibley. Powerpoint presentation: http://library.umassmed.edu/~mpiorun/laptopmla.ppt.

Sample Policy Statement (Word document): http://library.umassmed.edu/~mpiorun/MLASampleLaptopPolicy.doc.

The Wireless Laptop Project at Framingham State College
Presented by: Sandra Rothenberg
Reference/Electronic Resources Librarian,
Framingham State College, Framingham, MA

Sandra Rothenberg described that the initial project was started in the Fall 1998 and actually was not a function of the library as much as fulfilling an academic need for electronic classrooms and computer access for students. About 80 students in 4 classes were distributed laptops to use in their classes for the semester while the professors incorporated the use of the laptops and technology into their curriculums. The wireless infrastructure on campus covers classroom buildings, Whittemore Library, the Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA), and the College Center. These students have access to the campus network and the Internet at any time from almost anywhere on campus. (Commuting students can have the same access from home using an ISP.) In the Spring of 2001, the project involved seventeen classes and approximately 250 students with laptops. To date, 53 classes have been involved in the program, with approximately 900 students having access to a laptop. There is a new initiative that by 2005 Framingham State College will implement wireless laptop computing for all students. A key component will be the upgrade of the wireless infrastructure to the "WiFi" industry standard. Framingham will launch a laptop lease/purchase requirement for all entering freshmen beginning in fall of 2002. Under this plan, all day school undergraduates will possess wireless laptop computers, either leased or purchased, by the fall of 2005.

Sandra indicated that initiative has affected the library, as the library does not have an electronic classroom, instead it has a room that will allow projected presentations. This fall she is involved in teaching bibliographic instruction to at least one of the classes in the laptop program.

The discussion that ensued indicated that with increased use of laptops that there is a danger that librarians should not be turned into IT technicians (Ben Franekowski, Umass Lowell). Parallel increase in support staff not necessarily as a library function, will need to be implemented for the laptops users. Printing problems ensue for laptop users will need to be addressed. As the laptops all have limited battery power, the need for an increased number of electrical outlets is foreseen.

Sandra indicated that Andrea Pickles, Coordinator, Center for Academic Technology will be speaking at the NELA Conference in Burlington, VT on Oct. 1-2, 2001.

For more information, the project is described online at:
http://www.framingham.edu/cat/wireless_project.htm.

The Wireless Project at Providencee College
Presented by: Janice G. Schuster
Coordinator of Reference Services, Reference Librarian,
Providence College, Providence, RI

This is a more recent project as the library was wired for wireless in the Spring of 2001. The library had active support from the campus's Computer Services. Meetings with the vendor, computer services, and the library were very productive. The library installed seven access points, one in the basement and three each on the first and second floors. Because of the construction of the building, the points were mounted on the walls a couple of inches below the ceiling. Seventeen computers in the reference area on the first floor and eighteen computers on the second floor have access to the Internet through the wireless access points. An adapter was added to the network print for wireless access.

In addition, the library lends out at circulation sixteen laptops with wireless access network cards. The laptops have programmed links to common favorites such as Yahoo.

The entire project was funded through a Champlin Foundation Grant.

Here is a link to the library's wireless network purchases (Word document): http://www.acrlnec.org/sigs/itig/Schuster.doc.

Comments

A common reason shared by the libraries for the installation of wireless technology is to bypass the necessity of continuing adding access points in the libraries. With increasing use of Internet access for library resources, libraries were finding that they were continually adding access points at some expense. Installation of the wireless network has allowed the libraries to rearrange the library to suit their needs and provide access where needed in a most convenient manner.

Hand-in-hand with the introduction of a wireless network is the lending out of laptops and/or wireless network cards. Although the original purpose in lending of the laptops was to give access to the Internet from anywhere in the library, the libraries have discovered the laptop users have come up with unique uses for the laptops. Impromptu laptop classes have sprung up in workrooms of the library, use of the laptop as an in-hand card catalog so the user can locate items while in the library stacks, use for inventory control by the staff. In all the demand for the laptops have oftentimes exceeded the supply available and so libraries have had to make additional purchases to meet the demands.

Wireless and laptop lending is not without its pitfalls. Here are some. The wireless network is dependent on the institution's wired network. At this time a wired Ethernet connection is much faster than a wireless connection. Wireless users also must share the bandwidth, as it is not exclusive 11 mbps for each user. Wireless hubs share the wave frequency as other wireless products and so interference can occur or even interception of signals. Laptop maintenance for the repairing and lending out uses some staff time and has its own expenses. Implementation of a laptop borrowing requires new loaning and other administration policies.

Here is a good paper:
Dugan, R.E. (2001) Managing laptops and the wireless network at the Mildred F. Sawyer Library. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(4), 295-298.
If you subscribe: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jacalib/

Good Internet bibliographies to wireless technologies can be found at:
http://wally.rit.edu/information/wirelessurls.html
ASIS Program of December, 2000. A Walk on the Wireless Side - Bibliography at:
http://www.asis.org/Chapters/neasis/pc/programs/11dec2000_bibliography.html

Report by:
Olga Verbeek
Information Systems Librarian
McKillop Library
Salve Regina Universiy
100 Ochre Point Ave.,
Newport, Rhode Island• 02840
verbeeko@salve.edu
Comments Welcome!

Attendees: 32