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E-conomy / Paul Andrews
Thumbs up for new library's technology

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Much of the draw has to do with the library's design and philosophy. As a longtime library booster who has looked forward to the opening along with everyone else, I found the new layout difficult to understand. I noted with some amusement that handwritten paper signs marking directions to other floors and exits had been taped to walls where there should have been permanent "You Are Here" maps.

The elevators are too small, the air seemed a bit stuffy, and I'm still not sure what a "Mixing Chamber" is. It and some of the other design elements seem a bit precious — it's a library, after all, not a movie set for the next "Matrix" sequel.

But as far as the library's technology is concerned, it's thumbs up. Wi-Fi access is available nearly everywhere and, with 200 simultaneous addresses, is plenty robust.

Despite near-ubiquitous Wi-Fi, I saw no one using the system the times I visited. That surprised me a bit, but it may have to do with the fact that the library is jam-packed with IBM terminals. Fiber-optic network links to the machines make connections lightning fast — up to a gigabit per second. It's generally quicker and more convenient logging on to the terminals than booting up your notebook computer.

I wish the library had a Wi-Fi lounge with sofas, tables and maybe an espresso stand nearby. Wi-Fi is becoming a social technology, drawing notebook PC-toting users to hangouts for food and conversation as well as mutual surfing. The library's reading room is the closest thing it has to a lounge, but I found it little-used and a bit antiseptic.

Some 400 desktop terminals are available in the library. Most have one-hour limits, although a couple of "express" arrays limit users to 15 minutes. The express machines are aimed at lunch-hour users or visitors who want to check their e-mail or briefly surf. The terminals require a library-card number, but visitors can get a temporary one-day logon. Wireless access, by the way, has no time limit.

The terminals use Windows 2000, with an eventual upgrade to Windows XP. Browsers are customized for library services and security but are Internet Explorer-compatible. Hotmail users have encountered a glitch the library hopes to fix.

The library opted for full PCs instead of network-connected "thin" clients because PC software is still required for some library services, said Marilyn Sheck, director of information technology. Not all terminals have the full complement of software yet, which explains why I was able to get video on some terminals but not on others.

I found terminals a bit cramped. There's little desktop space for note-taking or reference materials. But Sheck said no patrons have complained so far about lack of space, and from what the library can tell, most surfers are not doing the kind of research that would require desk space.

Forty servers, ranging from rack-mounted Windows 2000 machines to a closet-sized Sun Solaris unit, provide the horsepower for the library's data services. Right now the overall storage capacity is 4 terabytes, but that is sure to grow as information services encompass photos and video as well as text. As a rule of thumb, a terabyte can store 1 million books but only 1,000 hours of compressed video.
 
What I found most intriguing about the library's technology is that it's distinctly a work in progress. Eventually, the library may move to thin clients and even go wireless throughout, once speed, dead spots and security issues associated with Wi-Fi are addressed. And the sphere of information services continues to expand in unpredictable and exciting ways.

Wherever technological advances take information services, Seattle's new library is sure to be among the leaders.

Paul Andrews is a freelance technology writer and co-author of "Gates." He can be reached at pandrews@seattletimes.com.