To Conclude Week III

WiFi Hotspot Lending

Introduction

            The implementation of library e-book lending services may have met the contemporary information needs of some patrons, yet it created a need for others who may not have had the means to access e-books. Currently, the same predicament affects patrons who have the option of borrowing an e-book and a Kindle, but have no Internet connection with which to access their e-reader content. This essay will discuss WiFi hotspot lending, an emerging library technology service that could halt this vicious cycle, and in effect, work toward closing the digital divide. A WiFi hotspot is a small, portable router which acquires a cellular signal just like a cell phone, allowing for mobile Internet access (Boss, 2015, p. 9). This option for Internet connection is already available for consumer purchase; however, its use in libraries is a completely new concept. Specifically, this essay will suggest ways in which hotspot lending can improve the education, information literacy, and quality of life of rural and low-income families, and also will present several challenges that libraries may face along the path towards making this new lending service a reality.

Literature Review

            Because the interest in library WiFi hotspot lending is still in its trial stages, there is a lack of research or scholarly discussion on the topic; however, much of the literature on lending e-readers and other technology devices can be applied in order to make informed conjectures about advantages and disadvantages of this new lending venture.

Primarily, the existing literature provides information that can help evaluate the community need for mobile WiFi lending. The American Library Association finds that 76% of public libraries lend e-books and 39% lend e-readers (Widdersheim, 2014,

p. 98). This data and the reality that library lending now covers a variety of digital material (including the e-readers, laptops, and tablets used to borrow and explore

e-content) show that libraries are meeting a public demand by providing digital services and make apparent that patrons without home Internet access cannot fully benefit from them. Furthermore, approximately 95% of academic libraries and 40% of school libraries practice e-book lending (p.98), an exciting innovation in education that severely limits students without access to the Internet at home.

One can also find information on just how much of the U.S. population is affected by poor Internet connectivity or a total lack of Internet access. According to the Pew Research Center, in some low-income communities, only 30% of families have broadband Internet access (Boss, 2015, p. 10). That means that 70% of some U.S. communities could potentially benefit from a library WiFi lending program. Test programs for hotspot lending have recently begun, and will hopefully yield both helpful quantitative and anecdotal data to guide libraries in this new endeavor.

Current Library Usage

            Current library use of hotspot lending is limited to a few visionary, public institutions, most notably, the New York Public Library (NYPL) and the Chicago Public (CPL) library. Their trial programs, “Check Out the Internet” and “Internet to Go,” accordingly, are funded by grant moneys provided largely by the Knight Foundation, and supported by various other contributors (Boss, 2015, p. 10). NYPL’s program has thus far been limited to one hundred users who have no household Internet access. Hotspots can be borrowed with a library card, just like a book or DVD, for up to one year (NYPL). CPL’s program targets six specific neighborhoods in which broadband Internet access is either of low quality or is completely unavailable, and allows patrons to borrow the device for up to three weeks at a time (Ortiz, 2015).

            Very recently, the Seattle Public Library launched a similar hotspot lending program. Google provided funds for 150 Verizon mobile hotspots, which can be borrowed, also with a lending period of up to three weeks. An early gauge of interest shows 81 checkouts within the first hour of a press event held on Monday, May 18, and over 175 holds accumulated by the end of the day (Soper, 2015).

Clearly, there is a need for Internet access in communities where people have been excluded from information access and privileges due to financial, geographical, or other reasons. Providing them with this access to technology and related skills, which according to Zhang, Washington, and Yin (2014), is no longer a luxury but a necessity (p. 655), opens up the world to them in a plethora of new and exciting ways.

Potential Benefits of Hotspot Lending

            The main priority in implementing hotspot lending programs is in working to close the digital divide by making Internet access possible for low-income families and for families living in rural locations. Having home Internet access can have a positive effect on these user groups in a variety of ways.

Enhance Education

            One of today’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in place for all public education grades K-12, is a core standard for technology use, which requires the use and analysis of media and technology to be integrated into students’ learning. According to Zhang, Washington, and Yin (2014), this standard emphasizes the importance of students’ information literacy, regardless of their family income level (p. 656). The chance to borrow a WiFi hotspot from one’s local library would create more equal opportunity for underprivileged students to experience modern technology and to utilize it to assist with homework and independent learning.

Improve Job Prospects and Quality of Life

            Access to the Internet prepares children for today’s world of advanced technology. The technology skills they will obtain from their web experiences are crucial to success in today’s competitive job market: “Information literacy equipped those low-income family children more power to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals” (Zhang, Washington, and Yin, 2014, p. 656). Knowledge and skills related to technology can also increase one’s self-esteem, as one gains confidence in his or her ability to navigate the digital world and to teach and assist others (p. 656).

Increase in Library Circulation

Finally, making WiFi available to all patrons through hotspot lending could  increase circulation of e-content and devices already offered, as more people would have the ability to use them. This service may also have the potential to attract new library patrons, who have not previously felt their needs could be met by library services or who may be skeptical or uncertain about using new technology. Hotspot lending programs would allow these patrons to experiment with the Internet for free, without committing to an expensive connection plan. Brian Bannon, commissioner of the Chicago Public Library, says that once people have the opportunity to “play” with WiFi access at home using a hotspot, they may then decide to invest in broadband connection on their own (Boss, 2015, p. 10).

Challenges of Hotspot Lending

Some concerns about e-lending may have effects on WiFi hotspot lending as well. In the digital age, patron privacy is a prominent issue, and a patron right that libraries are led to protect. Some argue that information harvesting by commercial vendors of digital material, such as Amazon, invades that privacy. When a patron registers via his or her Amazon account in order to check out e-books through the library’s lending service, OverDrive, Amazon then has access to patron reading activity (Widdersheim, 2014, p. 101). Additionally, Widdersheim explains that “Any interactive device loaned by libraries can be used as a tracker/recorder.” A WiFi hotspot could pose similar opportunities for privacy infringement.

Another significant worry concerns the commercialization of libraries. Libraries exist as non-profit, public service institutions, yet the more invested they become in the services of a commercial third-party vendor, the more power and manipulation of prices that vendor gains over them (p. 105). E-product vendors already place restrictions on library access to content. For example, even e-books paid for by a library may only represent one digital copy of that book, meaning that although the book is technically available for checkout by any number of patrons, only one patron can actually borrow and access the book at any given time. The vendor then charges the library for more lending rights of the exact same book. Because current WiFi hotspot lending programs have been funded by generous grants, the extent of power commercial vendors would have over hotspot lending in libraries is unclear. However, the cost of the Internet signal for the hotspots must be paid to some Internet provider, which can be expected to find its own ways to benefit from this new public lending service.

Conclusion

            The prospect of adding WiFi hotspots to library lending programs is in its infancy. Little or no research has been introduced on the topic, yet promising test programs are in progress and can inform libraries of the many advantages of hotspot lending, and prepare them for challenges which may arise in supporting a hotspot lending program. Information professionals and interested library patrons anticipate the future of more equal access to the Internet and, therefore, to all information.

References

Boss, S. (2015). Circulating the internet. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 13(1), 9-10.

Ortiz, K. (2015). From books to WiFi: The rise of libraries lending out hotspots. The

Global Dispatch. Retrieved from http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/from-books-to-wifi-the-rise-of-libraries-lending-out-hotspots-61775/

Soper, T. (2015). Google funds new lendable WiFi hotspot devices for Seattle public

library. GeekWire. Retrieved from http://www.geekwire.com/2015/google-funds-

new-lendable-wifi-hotspot-devices-for-the-seattle-library/

Widdersheim, M. M. (2014). E-lending and libraries. Progressive Librarian, 42, 95-114.

Zhang, H., Washington, R., & Yin, J. (2014). Improving strategies for low-income family

children’s information literacy. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2(9),

655-658.

Interview With a Webmaster: CMS Use in the Athens-Regional Library System

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Natalie Wright, Digital Media Librarian at the Athens-Clarke County Library, about her knowledge of and experience with Content Management Systems (CMSs). Her current position requires her to design, update, and troubleshoot the Athens Regional Library website (covering eleven branches), and to manage the main branch’s Digital Media Center, which offers patrons a variety of digital technology classes, including Beginning Photoshop, Podcasting, Video Editing, Illustrator, and Web Design, 3D modeling and printing workshops, and occasional Makey Makey/coding projects for young adults. I e-mailed Ms. Wright my questions concerning her work with CMS and found her responses to be very insightful and personally interesting to me, as I recently worked at the Royston Public Library, a local branch of the Athens Regional Library System, and therefore have experience interacting with her regional website.

           

She began work as the library webmaster in 2007, when CMS “wasn’t quite the buzzword” that it is now. She and her boss had heard of CMSs through blogs and tech sites and wanted to use a CMS to rework their library website, despite having no prior experience using one. After researching Drupal, Wordpress, and Joomla, Natalie compiled a list of desired website features and evaluated each system by creating a basic site on all three. She also mentions looking into one commercial option (name of system unknown), but ultimately decided that open-source was the best fit for her library. After discovering Drupal’s steep learning curve and more challenging workflow, and Wordpress’ inability to support the complexity level that Natalie’s website would require, she proposed Joomla, and her boss supported her decision.

Ms. Wright states that, “Joomla was the happy medium between the two (Drupal and Wordpress) with just the right amount of built-ins and a large selection of plug-ins.” She wanted a CMS that would allow staff with no coding experience to make updates using WYSIWYG; that would separate content from structure; that included built-in applications such as blogs, rss feeds, and calendars; and that supported more interactive content than simple static web pages. A more cohesive appearance and more streamlined workflow were also necessary characteristics. Joomla seemed to meet all of these important needs.

Ultimately, she is very pleased with her decision, even though, as with any new experience, there was a learning period. She says the most challenging aspect of implementing Joomla was learning CMS vocabulary: “I’m not sure of all the terminology between the different CMSs, but in Joomla you have to know what an Article, Category, Module, Plug-in, Extension, and Component are, and they are very specific terms with meaning specific to the system.  I think most of my initial research was trying to figure out what the online tutorials were referring to when they used these terms.” However, once one deciphers the language, it is easy to navigate, learn, and create with Joomla, and there is also an active online community to provide users with further system support. Additionally, she found that, to manage the complexity of her library’s site, some Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) skills were needed so that she would be free to design her own templates and to alter settings in add-ons.

Although additional skills were required in order to utilize the CMS to its highest potential, the positive results of Joomla far outweigh any setbacks due to a learning curve. Joomla satisfies all of the website needs that Natalie originally set out to meet. She is also grateful to be rid of the old site’s convoluted workflows, which involved using a CSS style sheet and tables for layout design; by using uploaded templates, Joomla eliminates worry that adding or removing features will disrupt the website layout. Finally, she also says the switch to Joomla has made the library more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as she has received positive feedback from Talking Books Center users who access and navigate the library website using a screen-reader.

Ms. Wright was very fortunate to have had so much influence on choosing a CMS, yet she says that control of website layout, design, and content remains “sort of a give and take.” Departments have control over their own content, and to a certain extent, how it is presented. Ms. Wright offers her professional advice when requested; however, sometimes her opinions are overruled: “I just feel embarrassed about some portions of our site that I think are not user-friendly.” Furthermore, certain branches have staff “willing to be trained in updates, and they post their own calendar events and blog posts...to add their own local spin on things.” Other branches (such as the one at which I was previously employed) still prepare their local content and send it to Athens for Natalie to upload onto the website for them.

As a concluding inquiry, I asked Ms. Wright to share any additional thoughts or advice she may have for me and other current MLIS students. She replied that the web design course should become core curriculum for all MLIS students, as knowledge of web sites, user interfaces, and basic coding has become a vital part of the information profession. She also recommends the book, Don’t Make Me Think, by Steve Krug. My interview with her was exceptionally informative, and showed me the topics covered in this course (MLIS 7505) in an applied, real-world context. Through this experience, I have gained a true appreciation for information technology and web education, no matter what area of library science one chooses to pursue.

To Conclude Week II

This week was considerably more stressful than Week I, although I'm not sure it is entirely due to the coursework. I also learned a new account at work, worked four overtime hours during the week and five more today, which is Saturday, which is supposed to be the weekend...Anyway, maintaining the ongoing projects (blog, Twitter, discussion posts) has become more challenging this week as new assignments were added to the mix.

The Best: I am really enjoying learning about content management systems and how they work. The interview for Assignment 3 was a very positive experience, and I hope to have my reflection on that completed and posted here sometime tomorrow afternoon. I also really like all of the interactive learning that has been required, such as creating our own website and experimenting with generating QR codes.

The Worst: I experienced slight frustration last night, as I prepared to make my comments to DB14, the final discussion question for the week, when the website shut down for its routine Friday night maintenance. How inconvenient. I know that the website informs us of this, but it had not yet been an issue for me. My professors last semester set no Friday due dates, which was very considerate of them; however, I understand that this is Maymester and it's necessary that something be due almost all the time. I'll just have to take that late DB posting as my own fault, the first sign that I'm beginning to fray around the edges, burst at the seams, slowly lose my sanity...

Then again, discussion boards in general have really outworn their welcome in my MLIS education. But I'm gearing up for round three!

Good luck on the homestretch, everyone.

What's this!

...how I am going to respond to QR code sightings from now on :)

I used BeQRious to generate my code. It's super fast and user-friendly, and you can customize the size and color!

Happy Scanning

There has been much discussion this week on our blogs, Twitter, and the discussion board concerning QR codes, and if I'm honest, I didn't really know what they were until having read the articles and everyone's posts. Here's a related mobile technology tool that may be of interest. Level It Books allows one to scan a book's ISBN (barcode) to see the Lexile, Guided Reading, Grade Level Equivalent, and DRA Levels of the book. I used to get asked these questions by parents all the time, and this app can help them find that information more quickly and independently from any location. It's a handy capability, granted I have not tested its use and accuracy.

The app, while not free, is very affordable at $3.99 on the App Store and is compatible with both Apple and Android devices.

QR codes make me wonder whether in the future, all print publication like newspapers and magazines will be entirely composed of headings and QR codes and only fill one folded piece of paper. I also read an adult fiction book not too long ago, Night Film by Marisha Pessl, which had bird symbols hidden throughout the pages that could be scanned via a special app in order to gain access to extended fiction content, such as clues and videos. Needless to say, that was an especially fun and innovative multimedia experience.

These apps have me thinking that maybe one day, we'll all go around with our smartphones at arm's length just scanning everything. I don't know if I'm excited about that or not...

What new horrors!

That's what I thought after I had completed the Joomla assignment, and before Assignment 3 had been disclosed.

I recently finished Hyperbole and a Half, a book written by Alli Brosh who is also responsible for the ingenious blog by the same name (http://www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/) and one of her illustrations perfectly relates my sentiment of Assignment 3... an old-school essay!

Today, I made arrangements with my contact to conduct the interview on her library's CMS via email, which will be super convenient for us both. The plan is to wrap up discussion post requirements by Friday evening and attack Assignment 3 over the weekend. Planning is half the battle!