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E-conomy / Paul Andrews
To connect on the road, try a library

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Libraries are becoming the default Internet provider for a quick check of e-mail, getting caught up on news and otherwise keeping one's online life up to date. Inquiring about wireless Internet access at cafes and businesses on a visit to Lake Tahoe two weeks ago, I was referred to library branches in Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe. The message was, who needs wireless when you can stroll down to the library and grab an Internet terminal?

At 9 a.m. in Tahoe City on a Friday morning, I was one of seven people waiting outside the door when the branch opened. The group included a couple of locals, but most were traveling business types wanting to get their daily logon out of the way before heading off to a day of recreation.

I've run into a similar phenomenon in outposts like Moab, Utah; Blue Diamond, Nev., and Half Moon Bay, Calif. Even where there's wireless Internet available as well, travelers flock to libraries.

In Seattle, the new downtown library boasts both wired and wireless Internet access. And it gets heavy use on both fronts. The library accommodates tourists, visitors and other walk-ins with temporary access.

The library as Internet provider makes sense. Libraries have traditionally been the places we go to for information. It should make little difference if the information is digital rather than printed.

But in all the attention over "any time, anywhere" Net access, libraries generally get overlooked. The wireless revolution has been ballyhooed in cafes, copy shops, motels, airports and other way stations. Libraries seldom get lumped into the category.

In the more-is-better world of online access, it's wonderful to have wireless availability from a variety of outlets. In most cases I prefer wireless to a dedicated terminal. It's a bit more convenient to use one's own machine, particularly in the cases of bookmarks and e-mail, where contact lists and automatically displayed addresses come in handy.

But my forays to libraries have taught me to appreciate their unique brand of availability as well. I don't always take my laptop on trips. When I do, a variety of potential glitches can intrude in the still somewhat flaky world of wireless. It's reassuring to know that libraries are there no matter what.

And don't forget that libraries are free. Most wireless access winds up costing something, whether it's a night's stay, a coffee and croissant or a T-Mobile account.

In Tahoe, I explained I was just visiting and wasn't a cardholder. No problem: I was issued a temporary Internet password and given a terminal for half an hour. If I needed more time, I was told simply to ask.
 
The whole process was quicker than booting up my laptop (and looking for a plug outlet so I could keep the battery fully charged). And the library's Internet terminals offered more comfortable viewing and seating than bending my neck over my laptop while perched on the edge of a bench or chair.

Even more appealing is the atmosphere of a library. There's no noisy next-table conversation, no clacking of dishes and hissing of espresso machines. And no double-tall latte to spill onto my keyboard.

Instead, I get that old-world quiet and comfort of a space in thought. Digital or analog, libraries are restful havens of musing, contemplation and reflection. It may seem contradictory to think of online sessions as timeouts, especially when you're traveling. But libraries can make them feel that way.

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