Thank you dear Friends

A World of Possibilities…

Christmas came early for Dunedin Public Libraries in August when Strawberry Sound put the final touches to the new 4th floor audio-visual set up. Thanks to the generous support of the Dunedin Public Libraries Association (Friends of the Library), the Dunningham Suite is now kitted out with modern and future-proof tech, including a new sound system, a suite of microphones for multiple functionality and, the pièce de résistance, a brand-new high-spec built-in camera system, DVD player and live-stream hardware! What does this mean for the libraries? Here’s a run-down of what we can do now:

• The personal address (PA) speakers in each section can be isolated, and there are now speakers in the foyer – this means we can have multiple events in each section; we can have music in all or part of the venue, and we can make public address announcements to specific sections of the 4th floor. For example “would everyone in the foyer now like to take their seats for the main event, have your tickets ready” – which saves our Events Coordinator having to yell that at 150 visitors.
• We have crystal-clear audio through microphones, or from inputs such as laptops or DVD players, which will be so much more comfortable for those with hearing loss or hearing aids, and will be a great support for community organisations using the venue, as well as Library-run events and programming.
• We now have a range of microphones for various purposes – a bank of table mics for panel discussions (no more pass-the-mic); two hands-free head mics for speakers who like to wander about and talk with their hands; a wireless hand mic for announcements, or taking questions from the audience – nothing worse than only hearing an answer to a question from the presenter, but having no idea what the question was from the other side of the room; and an upgraded mic for our lectern for those who like a static microphone – great for lectures and poetry readings. All of these can be used simultaneously.
• Our projectors are now linked to the audio system, so we no longer need to provide external speakers for DVD players or laptops for audio presentations. This means we can show movies or PowerPoint presentations seamlessly with excellent quality sound.
• Our projectors have also been linked together, so it will be possible to show the same visuals on both projectors – useful for big crowds so everyone can see what’s on the screens. These can also be used independently, and show different visuals at the same time – we could have two different visual events happening at once – our Dunningham Suite is heavily used, so this will give us the opportunity to make the space available to more people.
• The audio speakers are Bluetooth enabled, so people using the space will be able to link their audio devices – laptops/phones/iPads straight to the speakers, without the need for cabling. Again, that sound can be set to be heard throughout the whole floor, including the foyer, or just limited to certain sections. Much more versatile use of the spaces.

• The camera is built in to the ceiling, so we can produce high-quality film of events and presentations, and with our cool black box presenter the video feed can be live-streamed during the event. This has multiple applications for the library – from a record of talks for our Scattered Seeds digital archive, or our YouTube playlist, to widening our audience capacity for fully-booked events – people will be able to book a virtual screening if an event is fully-booked, or if they are out of town or housebound, or (dare I say it) if we find ourselves unable to host a live audience due to social distancing. We will plan for Library events in the future to have live-stream and video components as a matter of course, so we will have a bank of presentations which can be accessed by audiences around the world.
  

I could go on...so many possibilities. Thank you dear Friends of the Library for this gift, which means great things for the Library and our community.

The Dunningham is available for members of the community to hire for talks, presentations, meetings, workshops, performances, film screenings, discussion groups, book launches and even parties and weddings, with a fully-equipped kitchen, and a grand piano! Contact 03 474 3690 or library@dcc.govt.nz for information.