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The following are some suggested questions that you might consider when deciding on what type of technical support and information you will provide for wireless access.  However, as each library is likely to have a slightly different configuration, please ignore those questions that may not apply and consider what additional items you may need to address your setup's unique features.  With the answers in hand, one straightforward option would be to set up a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page (and possibly make a flyer or handout) that both staff and library users may refer to.  Some links to example FAQs are listed at the bottom of this article.

Potential Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Wireless Access:

A) Who can access the library's wireless network?
Do I need a library card? 
Do I need to be a patron to use wireless access?
What do I do if I don't have a library card / I am not a patron?
Is there guest access?

This is one of the questions you will undoubtedly get from anyone wishing to use your wireless connection and it is one that you will probably want to answer before you even purchase any wireless networking hardware.  The level of authentication you will require will likely influence your purchasing decisions.  Will you restrict this wireless network to patrons only? In that case, your wireless gateway/router must somehow be able to communicate with your library automation software to decide who is a legitimate user (i.e. a patron with a library account).  If you are going to allow anyone, patron or otherwise, access to the wireless network, you will still probably use some sort of authentication method.  How will usernames/passwords be generated and doled out?

B) Is there a charge for wireless access?

The issues around charging for wireless access are similar to those surrounding charging for internet access from wired workstations.  When patrons are paying for access, they are expecting you to deliver a high level of technical support and a secure method of payment for the service.    You may find that trying to charge for internet access can become more hassle than it's worth.  In addition, the library's ability to offer wireless access for free is a great selling point when marketing the use of the library over the corner coffee house, which can charge as much as $10.00 per day for use of a wireless connection. 

C) When is wireless access available?

Because your library's wireless signal may travel outside the building's walls (either by design or accident) it could be possible for people to use the connection without having to come into the library.  You could restrict the connection to hours when staff is available to support its use or simply allow access to it 24x7.  If you allow access to the connection all the time, and you use usernames/passwords to authenticate users, the mechanism to authenticate users needs to be available even when the library is closed.  For example, if you hand out temporary usernames and passwords to allow access to the connection, consider how long those will be valid.  If you make them valid for 24 hours from the time they are generated, the user can still use the connection even when the library is closed.  On the flip side, you can expire those at closing time and turn off the hotspot when the library closes, thus restricting use of the connection to operating hours.

D) Where is wireless access available?

In addition to pinpointing locations (Iowa City PL's information does a really nice job of this), you may want to mention (or, at least keep in mind) such things as signal strength varying with distance and obstacles (e.g., walls, floors, stacks, etc.); maximum transmission rates vs. actual transmission rates (usually limited more by the speed of the connection to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) rather than the transmission rates of the various wireless protocols (see " What is the difference between 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, etc?" from the Roselle Public Library's FAQ) as well as by the number of users connected to the  wireless AP {access point}); etc.  Once you do your building survey, you will have a better understanding of where to place your wireless access point(s) and how many "hotspots" you want to offer.  Like we have said before, "going wireless" does not mean you have to cover the entire building with a signal.  You can simply offer one "hotspot" area in the building where the connection can be accessed.

E) What type of wireless access is available (what type of equipment do I need)?

Let your users know what wireless equipment (e.g., 802.11 a/b/g wireless adapters) your setup should work with.  Perhaps include a mild disclaimer. For example, Vigo County's FAQ states: "Most WiFi equipment will be compatible. However, the library can make no guarantees as to the compatibility of your equipment with the library's network." (Please note, although often used without the trademark symbol -- even in its own pages -- Wi-Fi® (Wireless Fidelity) is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance ; their website has a lot of information that may be of interest, especially the FAQ page.)

F) Does the library provide laptops (etc.) or wireless adapters?

If you do provide this sort of equipment, the technical support expectations on the part of your public users will be fairly high.  You're providing this equipment, so you should know how to troubleshoot it when something goes wrong.  Sometimes, a patron's built-in wireless adapter simply won't work with your building's wireless access point (for whatever reason).  It's a nice service to offer these people the use of a wireless adapter that you know will work.  That being said, this opens up the door to a host of other policy issues.  How will these pieces of equipment circulate?  Who will handle checking them out and, more importantly, getting the patron started with them?  Adapters can easily walk out of the building so you might get stuck replacing these frequently.  How will you collect for the ones that do get away?

G) What kind of technical support does the library have for wireless access?

Given the responsibilities your library staff are probably already struggling to keep up with, their ability to offer technical support for the wireless network will likely be limited.  This is another place where a disclaimer may be in order.  See the FAQs below for examples.

H) How do I configure my laptop, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc., to use your wireless access? 

You may want to have a disclaimer that the library can only provide instructions on how to do this, but will not actually do it for the wireless user!  Configuration information may include information about the SSID (Service Set IDentifier), how to change TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) settings, WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or other encryption settings, etc.  Many of the FAQs linked to below give more detailed examples of this.

I) Do I need to login?  If so, how do I do this?

The answers to this question ties into any decisions you make about who will be able to access the wireless connection and how your hardware is configured.  If you do require some type of authentication, how will that be handled?  Will it be tied to a patron's existing library card?  Will you give out temporary usernames and passwords to allow patron and/or guest access?  If you do give them out, how will you expire them?

J) Are there limitations on the wireless access? 
Is the internet filtered?
What protocols are allowed or disallowed?
Are there any time or session limits?

This is where your acceptable use policy can come into play.  You can specifically answer these questions in that policy.

K) Is your network secure? 

When patrons ask this, what they are really asking is "Is your network secure between my device and the wireless access point?"  In other words, is the wireless segment encrypted.  Some libraries actually implement some form of encryption on their wireless segments but many do not.  Enabling wireless security for a large, diverse set of users whose devices you have no control over can get unwieldy.  If you don't enable some sort of encryption over the airwaves, that's fine.  Just make sure your users know and understand this.  You will want to have a disclaimer about this (several examples of this in the FAQs below) and/or a link to an article like "Complete Guide to Wi-Fi Security" by Tony Bradley & Becky Waring.

L) What are your policies for wireless access / internet access?  Since I'm using my own equipment, do the general rules about computer use still apply to me?

Depending on the length, you may want to include these policies directly in the FAQ, provide a link to them, and/or display them to your users before they begin using your wireless access.

M) Is printing available?

Because of the way network printing works, it is unlikely that users will be able to print using your wireless connection and their own wireless-enabled devices.  You can suggest that they save files they need to print to a disk (or some other removable media) or e-mail the files to themselves, then login to a library computer and print.  If you have one, users could be directed to a dedicated "express workstation" with a 10 or 15 minute limit to send their jobs to the printer.

Some Library Wireless FAQ Links:

"Wireless Access at the Boston Public Library"
http://www.bpl.org/general/wireless.htm

"Wireless Internet Access Available at the Boulder Public Library" http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/general/wireless_faqs.html

Iowa City Public Library's "Free Internet Access"
http://www.icpl.org/services/internetaccess.php

Pasadena Public Library's "Wireless Internet Access"
http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/library/wireless.asp

Roselle Public Library's "Wireless Internet Access FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)"
http://www.roselle.lib.il.us/GeneralInfo/ComputerResources_WirelessFAQ.htm

Vigo County Public Library's "Frequently Asked Questions"
http://www.vigo.lib.in.us/ref/wireless.htm

If you would like more examples of library wireless FAQs, try using your favorite search engine with terms such as: public library wireless FAQ.

Sample Flyer / Handout:

For a fairly basic sample flyer, see wireless public handout.doc (an attachment to the post "Our Library's Foray into Public Wireless Access" -- http://webjunction.org/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=18240#18240 ).