FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17, 2009

Columbus Library Installs Potomac Digital Signage

Multiple monitors allow the library to display information in real time

Columbus, GA – When the Columbus Library board began looking for a more effective way to communicate with their patrons, they turned to Potomac Digital Signage. Implementing the Potomac system allowed them to eliminate the inefficiency and clutter caused by paper signs. Instead, by using Potomac they were able to communicate with patrons in real time – simply and effectively. For the Columbus Library, the Potomac team installed an enterprise manager, seven monitors (including one in a remote branch), a kiosk enclosure with two 32-inch screens and a kiosk touch screen. Potomac services were comprehensive and managed turnkey.

“This is the way of the future,” said Linda Hyles, marketing coordinator for Chattahoochee Valley Libraries. “Being able to display content relevant to the library and our patrons and keep it current and fluid is invaluable. The ability to create slides ahead of time is a huge benefit, allowing me to use Potomac as more than just a message board.”

Hyles incorporates Potomac as a branding and sponsorship tool for the library’s various campaigns and events. During “381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story”, a Smithsonian Institution traveling event, Hyles wrote media sponsorships and included logo space on the Potomac kiosks as part of the media package.

“Also, in conjunction with the event we had a large opening-night party, and I moved all the current slides on Potomac into the archives, then created 20 slides specific to the party,” Hyles said. “Throughout the library, on every monitor, sponsors names were flashing, along with welcome messages. Once the night was over those slides fell off and the other ones came back online.”

Created by Interface Electronics, Potomac is built on a Linux/Java or Windows-based platform and allows users to create, manage and schedule content displayed on TV monitors or interactive kiosks. A central enterprise manager is installed at the main location, which controls all associated monitors. Potomac is Web based, making database management simple and accessible online, yet still secure. Multiple file types can be entered into the system at any time, without disrupting the current display. Users can schedule a date and time to display each message or “slide”, allowing content to run only on certain days of the week, in the future, or archived as expired but still available in inventory for reference or future use.

Potomac Digital Signage systems can be found in libraries throughout the United States. Chuck Singer, president of Interface Electronics, has seen an increasing demand for Potomac since it was introduced several years ago.

“We’ve been very pleased with the response Potomac has generated, both from library patrons and employees. We’re thrilled that our digital signage system is meeting a real need in the marketplace,” Singer said. “Libraries no longer have to print out multiple signs that quickly go out of date. Instead, information can be uploaded to Potomac quickly and easily, allowing libraries to keep patrons current on events, programs and procedures real time. The content is only limited by your imagination. The possibilities are endless using Potomac.”

Hyles would agree.

“Whenever I’m planning an event or campaign, I always remember our kiosks and monitors and think about how I can utilize them,” Hyles said. “I see them as a huge communication tool for us now and in the future, and I really want them in all eight of our libraries.”

About Interface Electronics

Interface Electronics Inc. was founded in 1986 as a custom cable assembly house. Since then, the Duluth, Georgia-based company has expanded into network technologies and digital signage software, building on its strength of listening to what the marketplace wants and delivering before the competition does. Interface also provides products such as the Cone of Silence, PCReservation and LPT:One from Envisionware, all of which service the education market, including public libraries.

In 2004, Interface began developing the Potomac Digital Signage System and currently has more than 200 systems installed across the United States. Interface believes that the functionality of this product paired with customers’ visions will create unlimited opportunities.

About the Columbus Library

The Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, under various names, has served the community for more than 100 years. The library system is the most widely used cultural institution in the region, with more than 127,000 residents holding library cards. The main branch, the Columbus Public Library, opened in January 2005 in midtown Columbus, Georgia. The Chattahoochee Valley Libraries is owned and operated by the Muscogee County School System, but has its own board of directors, with the members appointed by the School District Board.