Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Clark County libraries might begin offering wireless Internet access

Las Vegas Clark County libraries are going wireless.

The Board of Trustees is expected to approve on Thursday an amendment to the Internet use policy that will lead in two weeks time to wireless use in all 12 urban libraries.

Patrons with devices containing a wireless access card will be able to enter facilities and use the Internet for free, without having to wait in what often are long lines to use the district's computers.

Going wireless will cost the district about $25,000, and district Executive Director Daniel Walters said it's likely to save money in the future.

"With wireless all we have to do is put up a wireless device that broadcasts a signal in our buildings. We're not funding new computers. We're not funding the power nor the pulling of wires. That's what makes it more economical," he said.

The Henderson Library District has offered wireless service in several libraries since August, and libraries across the country are increasingly offering the service.

"I would suspect at least 30 percent of our libraries now across the country, if not more, are wireless," said Clara Bohrer, president of the Public Library Association. "It's an opportunity to expand access to your network."

Users under 18 will be limited to a filtered network that limits access to age appropriate sites unless they have a parental consent form to use an unfiltered network. Library staff will not monitor user content.

"We don't ask our staff to be the Internet police. We don't look over people's shoulders to see what they are reading," Walters said.

Walters said each branch will initially provide wireless service to only 20 users at a time, to prevent bandwidth hogs who download massive files from toppling the network. Those sessions will be limited to one hour while the district studies usage and tweaks the system.

As the district updates its computer system, which is more than six years old, Walters hopes patrons will be able to check out books using their wireless devices instead of waiting in lines.

"I think it's an awesome idea," said Ken Simmons, 29, of Las Vegas outside the Las Vegas Library on Tuesday.

He has wireless access at home and said he would like to use it at the library because of the quiet environment.

Walters said the library district will continue to maintain the library's computers and did not expect that wireless service would affect the sometimes lengthy lines to use computers. But it probably will bring in new patrons, such as travelers who have wireless devices and want to check e-mail.