Technology helps library, patrons make connections

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Libraries are more than just books.

And, in reality, have been for a long time. Hubs of information, they connect people with both knowledge and possibilities.

In Bonner County, technology is making that happen.

For Brendan Mooney, East Bonner County Library District's IT manager, and Brenden Bobby, coordinator for the district's experiential and STEM programs, technology is the vehicle that makes those connections possible.

The vision, they said, is to make the library a center of excellence, a place where people can come, learn new skills, have fun, and make their dreams come true.

“What if we were able to create a funnel so local businesses know, and maybe national businesses, too, if they so choose, where people can come in and get a career they can raise a family on by learning their skills at the local library?" Mooney said. “That's a dream come true.”

The district is in the middle of a comprehensive overhaul of its technology systems, Mooney said. Among them, a new Wi-Fi that is the fastest internet outside of Boise and capable of everything from streaming videos and coding workshops to holding a business meeting and creating a prototype of "the next big thing."

“We can do so much to achieve some of our bigger goals … to be able to allow for kids and adults to come here and learn skills that normally you’d have to go to somewhere like Sacramento or LA to do, you can now do here because the internet speed is so good here," Mooney said.

The computers, combined with the behind-the-scenes back-end part of the system — now one of the best in the state — make it all possible. The technology, both on the front and the back ends, is the cornerstone of the future of American innovation, Mooney said.

“This is really going to be how that young person who's in high school — they've had a bad background in life and didn't have a leg up — goes to the library and can actually make their dreams become a career that makes my heart so warm,” he added.

Other technological highlights include an audiovisual studio, graphics computers, and industry-standard programs that can turn ideas into reality. Films, documentaries, and podcasts can all be created at the library.

In addition to a new phone system, the library added a Zoom-capable conference room where patrons can hold or attend meetings in a private space — comparable, Mooney said, to meeting rooms found at a Fortune 50 company.

The library also serves as a hub for the Idaho Department of Labor, military recruiters, and the business community. It is in the process of creating an IT lab, using spare and assorted parts, where patrons — especially area youth — can learn how to give new life to devices.

New security cameras are being installed, which can be accessed on key staff members’ mobile phones. In addition, the library now has a “proper” battery backup system for its servers and network and can monitor servers that need maintenance, Mooney said.

The library even added a station where patrons can update video games using its ultra-high-speed internet.

Mooney said the technological revamp followed a realization that its equipment was a technological hodgepodge, outdated and well past the expected end of life. Some computers could do one thing, others could do another, and there always seemed to be a juggle for the "good" computers.

Mooney was able to use connections, both in the military and as owner of his own IT company, for the library's benefit, something that pleased everyone involved.

“I have a lot of colleagues that are in the IT field. I'm like, ‘Hey, phoning a friend,’” Mooney said. “And I'm leveraging these connections from my old business life to help benefit the library, which makes me happy.”

What used to be a mess, albeit one that was, on the surface, functional, now runs smoothly and without glitches. The Wi-Fi is faster, the back-end network overhauled, new security software installed, and the firewall secured. The system was designed from the ground up, using input from all types and ages of users.

“We designed this whole entire system to be easier to use,” Mooney said of the new computers available for use at the district’s libraries.

Before, the system was a bit clunky, outdated, and confusing to navigate. Now, Mooney said, the system has been engineered around people.

That means a patron can check out a Blu-ray player, find a movie, reserve a computer for two hours, and sit back and watch the latest documentary or movie.

The computers are multi-accessible and have more access ports, a recognition of patrons’ growing number of multi-media devices. Headphones at each computer also make patrons’ experiences their own, while keeping each device as accessible as possible to all.

“Keeping privacy in mind, the computer also nukes itself every time you go on,” Mooney said. “So when someone’s like, ‘I don’t want the library watching what I’m doing,' we absolutely have no idea what you’re looking at. We have our filters that are required by federal law, but beyond that, you’re free to roam about the cabin, as I would say.”

Mooney, who came on board last March, began his tenure at the library by listening. He wanted to know what the staff wanted and what the community wanted; no ideas or suggestions were off-limits.

That was used to create a vision, which Mooney then paired with business network best practices to create a digital workspace that is secure, organized, and capable of meeting both existing needs and those coming down the road.

He views his role as giving staff and patrons the tools and infrastructure to do their jobs, create the next big idea, or just sit back and watch a fun movie without glitches due to slow internet speeds.

“Tell me the ideas,” Mooney said he told the staff. “Don’t tell me the technologies. Tell me what you’re thinking we could do. ‘Hey, can we do X, Y, and Z?’ … Here’s what it’s going to look like, here’s how much it’s going to cost, here’s what we can do, and here’s the timeline for implementation.”

That concept of using technology as a method to help solve the library's needs can also be seen in its purchase of Raspberry Pi boards. Some of which will be used by coding groups, while others will be combined with touchscreens to create catalog touchpads to replace dated tablets around the library. 

“Our plan is to design a housing, cut out the pieces from MDF or plywood with a laser, and then give local teens at the library a chance to paint the housing to give it some local flair,” he said. “If this system works out, we're going to expand it to multiple units and have the coding club help set them up to give them a little experience in the IT world.”

Behind all of the improvements and technology are people, the pair said.

“A lot of people think [IT] is just us breaking and fixing computers,” Mooney said. “But it’s not. The bigger, overarching goal that Brenden and I have is to create a facility where you can have those connections, where you could get someone to come in.”

That, at its heart, is the library — a place to connect ideas, people, and places, Bobby said.

“We're connection facilitators, more than anything else,” he added. “We facilitate knowledge through our books, lifelong learning, [and] facilitate connection to the community through our programs. That's what we are.”

    Brendan Mooney, East Bonner County Library District's IT manager, checks over one of the library's computer servers. Improvements to the system are just some of the technology upgrades being made to improve services, network stability and security, and more.