Markets /markets Customer Profiles /markets/customerProfiles/default.asp Princeton Public Library /markets/customerProfiles/PrincetonLibrary/default.asp Princeton Public Library Princeton, New Jersey Education /markets/customerProfiles/PrincetonLibrary/imgs/image_PrincetonLibraryDeskWithOverheadPlasmas.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/PrincetonLibrary/imgs/image_PrincetonLibraryEquipmentRack.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/PrincetonLibrary/imgs/image_PrincetonLibraryPodiumWithModeroPanels.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/PrincetonLibrary/imgs/image_PrincetonLibraryTechRoom1.jpg Princeton Public Library /assets/literature/Princeton.Library.pdf /assets/literature/thumbs/edu_PrincetonLibrary.jpg PDF | 527 KB 2005 1 Princeton, N.J. enjoys a long history of excellence in higher education through its namesake Ivy League University. What it didn't have, though, was a modern, highly advanced literary center available to the town's general population. “I would recommend an AMX Control System to any of my library colleagues and peers,” Burger said. “For library plans of the future, these are not just bells and whistles. They really are an integral part of the libraries of today and tomorrow. I don't consider this a frill at all.” The Princeton Public Library dedicated a new building in April 2004 to replace the old facility, which was located in a strip shopping mall on the outskirts of town. The new library, closer to the heart of town, boasts 60,000 square feet of space. The three floors include the main library, a technology center and meeting rooms. According to Leslie Burger, Princeton Public Library Director, audiovisual equipment from AMX®, as bid and installed by the Audiovisual Systems Group(AVSG) of High Fidelity House Inc., of Broomall, Pa., played an integral role in establishing the new library. "AMX hits all areas of the library," Burger said. "There are monitors on every floor and cable TV on every floor. There was no AV in the old facility. Just the fact that we have it, and it's resident on our system, means everything to us and our patrons." AMX in the House The primary controller used at Princeton Public Library was the AMX NI-3000 NetLinx® Integrated Controller, along with NetLinx ME-260 cards with card frames installed in each room. The meeting room, which seats between 200 and 300 people, contains a wired podium-mounted 7.5-inch Modero® Viewpoint Touch Panel (MVP-7500). Rich Diperstein, sales engineer for AVSG, pointed to the panel's user appeal, reliable performance and upscale interface technology as the prime benefits of the podium-mounted MVP-7500. AVSG used two 8.4-inch Modero Viewpoint Touch Panels (MVP-8400), one each in the technology center and the meeting room. The firm also installed docking stations for both MVP-8400s. AVSG worked with an AMX programmer to design the system user interface. The interface had to be sophisticated enough to handle environmental controls, lighting, AV equipment, plasma screens and closed-circuit broadcasts, yet still be simple enough for the general public to use. "It's not just library personnel who use the AMX system," Diperstein said. "They mostly oversee the public's use, and the interface makes it easy for them." Burger, too, emphasized the importance of the intuitive interface. "One of the best things about the AMX system is its usability," she said. "It's very easy once you understand it. It's easy for most anyone. You don't need an advanced degree in technology." Uses and Benefits The technology center of the library includes "countless" PC stations, each with Internet access, for public use and training sessions, Diperstein said. Students, in classes from beginner to advanced, practice computer lessons and learn more about the Internet in contained or distance-learning classes. Instructors use the MVP-8400 panel to control the lessons, and students follow along with the desktop holders with the touch panels. Plasma screens, all controlled through the NI-3000, continually flash in-house messages and are integrated into the library's on-air, closed-circuit cable TV network to broadcast library events. Future plans call for the Princeton Public Library to collaborate with other libraries to simulcast events such as appearances by National Book Award winning authors. The meeting center serves as the library's flagship room. Community meetings, movies, book signings and poetry reading are just some of the events that take place in the main meeting room. AMX control systems act as both main-stage players and the Wizard of Oz, behind the curtain. From the podium, outfitted with an MVP-8400 panel networked through the NI-3000, the speakers, A/V system and lighting can be controlled. From behind the scenes, library personnel control the room's environment, video or data projection, sound levels and security, if necessary. Luxury vs. Necessity In today's world of information-on-demand, the AMX system in place at the Princeton Public Library fills a critical need, Burger said. Card catalogs have become extinct, public assemblies for municipal or entertainment purposes have flourished and education no longer is confined to a single classroom. According to Burger, high-tech systems that enable multiple functions from a single control panel are key to meeting the public's demands for user-friendly, effective information and data dissemination. The need will continue to grow. "I would recommend an AMX Control System to any of my library colleagues and peers," Burger said. "For library plans of the future, these are not just bells and whistles. They really are an integral part of the libraries of today and tomorrow. I don't consider this a frill at all."