Caribou Coffee is now offering semi-free WiFi for their customers.
“Customers will have access to free Wi-Fi during the first hour, and then will be asked to make a minimum $1.50 store purchase, about the price of a small cup of Caribou coffee, for each additional hour to receive a Wi-Fi access code.”
I like this idea. Give a certain level of free service and then make sure the user is supporting such service by requiring them to make a minimal purchase. I’m not saying that this applies to libraries but it’s better than charging what most chain coffeeshops and airports charge.
Michael Sauers is the Technology Manager for Do Space in Omaha, NE. After earning his MLS in 1995 from the University at Albany's School of Information Science and Policy Michael spent his first 20 years as a librarian training other librarians in technology along with time as a public library trustee, a bookstore manager for a library friends group, a reference librarian, a technology consultant, and a bookseller. He has written dozens of articles for various journals and magazines and has published 14 books ranging from library technology, blogging, Web design, and an index to a popular horror magazine. In his spare time, he blogs at TravelinLibrarian.info, runs The Collector's Guide to Dean Koontz website at CollectingKoontz.com, takes many, many photos, and typically reads more than 100 books a year.
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