In addition to more than 600,000 books, the six-story, 265,000 square-foot facility houses an art gallery, a student success center, research facilities and more, all using the most advanced technology available. And digital signage plays a crucial role in how students, visitors, faculty and staff experience the TFDL. However, while the library already had screens in place, its various digital signage software platforms were making it difficult to manage the large network and optimize every display. In 2015 the university transitioned to Four Winds Interactive (FWI®), bringing every kiosk and video wall within the TFDL under one flexible content management platform.
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-
60
Free-standing or Wall-mounted Kiosks -
~10k
Students See the Screens Daily -
70
Study Room Signs Throughout the Library
The Challenge
University libraries are considered the heart and soul of any campus, and they continue to evolve as technology advances.
Integrated with cutting-edge digital elements and designed to accommodate new technologies as they become available, the TFDL was built continuously support the campus community well into the future. However, after discovering that its multiple legacy digital signage software platforms couldn’t deliver the flexibility and functionality necessary to power its video walls and wayfinding stations, the Libraries and Cultural Resources department began searching for a single signage platform. The university sought a platform with powerful wayfinding capabilities, built-in integrations, the ability to show real-time space and computer availability, plus support unique, modular video wall configurations.
What Needed To Be Done
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01
Communicate more effectively in today's digital-first world -
02
Leverage touchscreen functionality to improve student communications -
03
Advance the TFDL’s reputation for innovative technological implementations
The Solution
By consolidating the majority of its digital signage applications under FWI’s platform, the TFDL was able to streamline its digital communications efforts and provide localized, relevant information on each of its screens.
Using FWI’s software, the TFDL team created a comprehensive interactive directory that includes bus schedules, computer availability, an up-to-date event calendar and wayfinding capabilities.
The library is now able to support unique video wall configurations, even displaying a giant Tetris game created by the Computer Sciences faculty on a 17ft tall modular video wall, advancing the TFDL’s reputation for innovative technological implementations.
Components Used
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Visual Communications Cloud:
Content Manager Desktop (CMD)
Content Manager Web (CMW)
Content Player for Web URLs
Content Player
FWI Services -
Professional Services:
Education & Training
Project Management -
Integrations:
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft SQL
Microsoft Office 365
Springshare
Android
LG
Mimo Monitors
NED
Windows
Intel NUC
The Results
The Taylor Family Digital Library’s 60 kiosks, 9 video walls and 70 interactive study room signs now run on FWI’s software.
The University of Calgary has been streamlining content management and enhancing the library's digital communications capabilities ever since.
Added Benefits
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01
Enhanced Functionality
FWI’s powerful platform enables the TFDL to deliver multiple solutions within a single touchscreen installation, including wayfinding, real-time event information, transportation feeds and more. -
02
Realized Cost Savings
By transitioning to FWI’s digital signage platform, TFDL was able to eliminate the costs associated with its other software providers, without incurring new hardware expenses. -
03
Exceeded Expectations
Built to encourage experiential learning through innovative technology, the Taylor Family Digital Library is considered one of the most progressive libraries in North America. And due to the flexibility of FWI’s digital signage platform, the TFDL is able to exceed the expectations of its students, faculty and visitors today, plus optimize communications as things change.
From the license structure through the advanced content management and scheduling capabilities, it seems like FWI’s platform was built to make my job easier.
—JUSTIN ANDERS, MANAGER, DIGITAL PROJECTS & WEB DEVELOPMENT
