A place to explore new technology

Posted 11/14/13

Dreamweaver and InDesign are names familiar to programmers and those using computers for specific tasks.

But, apart from their technical applications, the words are also well suited for what is …

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A place to explore new technology

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Dreamweaver and InDesign are names familiar to programmers and those using computers for specific tasks.

But, apart from their technical applications, the words are also well suited for what is happening at the Warwick Public Library and the foundations that made it all possible.

This Saturday, the library will hold an open house for its Idea Studio. The studio is located in a space once occupied by a café, which, ironically, was also an innovative idea when the central library opened years ago. At that time, libraries were thought of as “quiet places” where you spoke in soft tones, picked out your books and left to read somewhere else. Not only did the library have places where people could relax in upholstered chairs, but also rooms where they could meet with friends and, believe it or not, a café where you could get coffee and snacks. It was radical.

Over decades the Champlin Foundations, created by Warwick industrialist George Champlin and his family, have been major supporters of libraries and, in particular, the Warwick Library. It’s no coincidence that the library has been in the forefront of incorporating new programs … the Champlin Foundations have been there to enable the library to break new ground. There are numerous examples of what the library has done from the dedication of an extensive children’s room – complete with iPads – to a teens room and the loan of mini-iPads.

Not all ideas take off. The café, for instance, ran its course and became underused. Does that mean it failed? We would say not. It means times and demands change.

We see a good example of change in how libraries have evolved. Books and periodicals can still be found at the library, but increasingly people are using library computers. People who can’t afford their own most often use library computers. As has been noted by library officials and Mayor Scott Avedisian, the library has been a valuable resource during these difficult economic times and they have helped people find jobs.

Now the library is opening another door – one to today’s technology. The Idea Studio features some of this technology, such as 3D printers that someday may become as commonplace as copiers.

Could the library and the Champlin Foundations be weaving new ideas? Maybe not weaving them, but by design opening them for us to see and use.

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