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Dumb technology
Someone in development at my workplace managed to wangle a shitpile of Dead Guy Money out of some heirs and put it towards renovating the most historic parts of the building. They did a really top-notch job, hiring a firm that was gung-ho about the original architect's work and pleased as all get-out to be able to work on one of his buildings. The workers did a lot of extra-mile stuff, like taking casts of existing woodwork so they could custom-mill new mouldings. There's hardwood and limestone and really spiffy new lighting.
Of course, this all took a lot of time, so even though the official re-opening was a couple months back, there are still workmen in every day finishing up details. Earlier this week, they finally installed the panels at the entrance to the link between this building and mine which list the various departments located there and their hours. I took a look at it and thought, "It looks beautiful. Really classic, well-built...and dumb."
Because it's already inaccurate. Next week is intersession, and we'll only be open limited hours. After that is Christmas week, so were closed completely Monday and Tuesday. Then they're doing building work so extensive that three whole floors will be off-limits for the rest of the week. Obviously, none of that can be reflected on a fixed painted panel.
Now here's the real shame of it: Just beyond this sign, in the link between the buildings, there are five large flat-screens. Currently, they're displaying randomised images relating to an exhibit--you know, the kind of thing that's good for a moment's eye candy while you're passing by. (A lot of the text fragments are intriguing but dense, and pass by too quickly for you to really unpack them--but that's a rant for another time.) We couldn't have taken just one of those screens and dedicated to the display of timely and useful information? It's only our central mission.
Hello, 21st century, we're not really ready for you yet.
Update (19.12.12): A solution has been found! They gone an erected another sign on a freestanding post and set it in front of the signboards. Melvil Dewey would be so proud!
Of course, this all took a lot of time, so even though the official re-opening was a couple months back, there are still workmen in every day finishing up details. Earlier this week, they finally installed the panels at the entrance to the link between this building and mine which list the various departments located there and their hours. I took a look at it and thought, "It looks beautiful. Really classic, well-built...and dumb."
Because it's already inaccurate. Next week is intersession, and we'll only be open limited hours. After that is Christmas week, so were closed completely Monday and Tuesday. Then they're doing building work so extensive that three whole floors will be off-limits for the rest of the week. Obviously, none of that can be reflected on a fixed painted panel.
Now here's the real shame of it: Just beyond this sign, in the link between the buildings, there are five large flat-screens. Currently, they're displaying randomised images relating to an exhibit--you know, the kind of thing that's good for a moment's eye candy while you're passing by. (A lot of the text fragments are intriguing but dense, and pass by too quickly for you to really unpack them--but that's a rant for another time.) We couldn't have taken just one of those screens and dedicated to the display of timely and useful information? It's only our central mission.
Hello, 21st century, we're not really ready for you yet.
Update (19.12.12): A solution has been found! They gone an erected another sign on a freestanding post and set it in front of the signboards. Melvil Dewey would be so proud!
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The last round was big flat screens with built-in computers... that turned out to be way underpowered for running a flash-based web sign. The fans would run loudly all the time, they'd crash from overheating, etc.
The library actually inherited the screen from that round that's across from the ref desk, so we had an old desktop mounted behind the wall to actually run it to solve the overheating issue, and have started using it to display current hours, current featured books, etc. It's not the most exciting rotation in the world, but I think it's actually become useful. (The most useful thing to the students is probably the time/weather display. (Which the web provider is currently threatening to phase out. Something to deal with in the new year.)
One of the other screens fell to a student organization, which we've been giving guidance on how to do something similar. Which, again, may be useful, but doesn't really reflect whatever was intended by buying them.
(And there are already rumblings of the next round. Probably touchscreens this time!)
Outside the library, for the hours we have one of those black boards with white plastic letters, behind glass. Low tech, maybe, but it can be updated regularly, and it never, ever crashes.
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