The information wall, implemented by Electrosonic, features dynamic displays of streaming business and market-related news as well as local listings for library patrons.
The new Business Information Wall at the New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) features state-of-the-art visual technology and real-time news streaming, including the latest financial information and breaking news combined with listings of library events and classes.
The wall, sponsored by UBS and implemented by Electrosonic, was created by experiential design firm ESI Design to meet the fast-changing needs of library visitors and to reflect SIBL’s mission as a resource for local, national and international business information and an engine for local business.
The wall features a dynamic display and a steady stream of updated business and non-financial world news that can influence markets. It consists of five 40in NEC LCD4000s and 12, 20in Sharp Aquos LCD monitors provided by Electrosonic, which were built into a steel and plexiglass lightbox measuring approximately 7ft x 36ft. Web-based feeds from a variety of sources, including the Dow Jones and Reuters online news services, are displayed on two NEC LCD screens at the north and south ends of the wall. The remaining 15 monitors present business and current events news from cable networks Bloomberg, BBC, CNN Headline News, CNN International, C-SPAN 1 and 2, Fox News Channel and MSNBC. Above the Wall an LED ticker streams stock information and news.
Electrosonic illuminated the lightbox with 118 Color Kinetics iCove lights, controlled by Color Kinetics’ iPlayer2, which form a background panel that brightens and animates the entire display with rotating colors flowing from blue and green to purple and magenta. Electrosonic also installed three Holosonic Audio Spotlights to beam streams of sound to visitors watching the three large LCD screens. Once patrons step outside the two-foot radius of the audio spotlight, the audio fades into the ambient sound of the library.
Behind the scenes Electrosonic installed an AMX Netlinx integrated show controller and touchscreen for scheduling changes to the Wall’s programming. The wall is fed by two Rise Software Engines offering live Internet feeds from UBS, SIBL and other financial news and stock information sources. Similar information is scrolled across the LED ticker by Rise Software.
Also available to feed the wall are eight cable boxes from Time Warner Cable, a Pioneer DVD player and two auxiliary computers. All the source devices are sent through an Extron 16x16 Component Video Matrix Switcher and are routable to any monitor. Audio is triggered by motion sensors.
Electrosonic designed the control system to allow for the creation of templates — which include cable channels, DVDs and routing information — that can either be scheduled as events or manually recalled for special occasions. All devices are also available as audio sources, which are routed through the same switcher.
For more information, visit www.electrosonic.com.
