PORT TOWNSEND — The first results of a technology upgrade will be unveiled tonight at the Port Townsend Library during a presentation commemorating the national parks centennial.
The program, “Interpreting the National Parks” with Tim McNulty and Pat O’Hara, begins at 7 p.m. in the library’s 1913 Carnegie Reading Room, 1220 Lawrence St.
“This is the first time we’ve had Tim and Pat in here for a program and the first time we are using the equipment,” said Technical Services Director Keith Darrock.
“It’s pretty exciting. We are using this space in new ways.”
The two presenters will use the new equipment — paid for with part of a $50,000 grant — in a collaborative presentation in which O’Hara will project photos on the 10-foot-by-12-foot screen as McNulty reads accompanying text.
McNulty’s poems, essays, criticism and articles on nature and conservation have appeared in numerous publications, and he reads, lectures, teaches and conducts workshops throughout the Northwest, according to a news release.
O’Hara’s color images have appeared in 17 exhibit format books, dozens of calendars and magazine articles.
Many platforms
Darrock said the library has become a technology center that offers information on a variety of platforms, although many patrons prefer old-fashioned books.
E-books and audio books are only part of this growth; the library also checks out iPads and will continue to offer multimedia programs.
The purchase of the screen and projector along with adding multimedia equipment in the adjacent Library Learning Center represents half of a $50,000 grant from Gray Wolf Ranch, with the other half used in a recent structural renovation project.
The learning center, which is made available at no charge for group meetings, now has a set of wireless speakers controlled by a new lectern that connects to a laptop and projects images, presentations, video or music onto the screen.
A shift toward digital and streaming technology has worked to benefit the library, as many patrons are donating CDs and DVDs in favor of online entertainment content.
Some titles are added to the library’s collection while most are offered at the periodic Friends of the Library book sales.
Technology acquired through library sources can be more valuable than what is available at home through an unfiltered connection, Darrock said.
“You can Google something and get 2 million pages which reflect where most of the people go, so it’s not necessarily good information,” he said.
“We determine what information is authoritative and what is not.”
An all-day open house is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 4, at which time all the new features will be on display.
For more information, go to www.ptpubliclibrary.org or call 360-385-3181.
_________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
