Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at the Civic Center Branch of the Marin County Free Library in San Rafael, California. The library system, based at the Civic Center, has 10 branches. (Alan Depp/Marine Independent Journal)
A Marin County library organization has secured a grant from the California State Library to upgrade its internet networking equipment.
The $175,211 award will go to MARINet, a consortium of public and academic libraries in the county. Jessica Trenary, Systems Administrator at MARINet, was responsible for fundraising.
“Even if we didn’t get the grant, we thought we should do this project anyway,” Trenary said. “The time has come to complete these updates.”
MARINet member libraries include the Marin County Free Library; Belvedere Tiburon Library. Larkspur Library. Mill Valley Public Library. San Anselmo Public Library. San Rafael Public Library. Sausalito Public Library. University of Marin Library. and the Archbishop Alemany Library at Dominican University. Combined, these libraries serve more than 265,000 patrons throughout Marin.
The Marin County Free Library System has 10 branches, including Civic Center, Stinson Beach, Marin City, and Novato. San Rafael’s public library has three locations.
The upgrade includes replacing core network systems at the Los Gamos Drive office in San Rafael. This system, also known as a backbone network, is a central pipeline designed to transfer traffic at high speeds, Trenary said.
This core connects to the library’s routers and switches to improve wireless internet surfing and upload speeds. Trenary said the entire system update, including the core, is separate from the Internet system that supports private academic libraries at the University of Marin and Dominican University.
“This will help people because patrons rely on the internet to connect, apply for jobs, submit college applications, check email, etc.,” she said. “We want to help them do it faster, better and more reliably.”
MARINet has three employees and a budget of about $2 million, Trenary said.
County Librarian Rana Adrawan said new internet infrastructure will ensure reliable Wi-Fi access, and tools like streaming and other technologies will help offset increased demand.
“We are excited to have the support of the California State Library, which enables public libraries to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of today’s patrons,” said Adrawan.
Adrawan said there are 415 hotspots that patrons can check out. It was rented about 2,400 times last year.
There are also 107 public computer terminals in 10 branches. Last year, she said, she had a total of 268,000 logins to her Wi-Fi sessions at public libraries.
MARINet was created approximately 35 years ago to connect library catalogs. Across the site, the group shares e-book collections, online resources, and internet connectivity.
In 2016, MARINet public libraries joined the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, a nonprofit corporation that operates the California Research and Education Network. The network provides high-speed broadband networks to the state’s universities, community colleges, and public schools.
Marin IT, a Novato technology services company, will lead installations at the site over the next year.
Belvedere Tiburon Library Director Crystal Duran said the grant will maintain the library’s important role as a local information hub.
“Providing internet access in libraries bridges the digital divide in our community and enables all individuals to explore, learn, connect and thrive in the digital age,” Duran said.
