Wireless hotspots are popping up in local coffee shops everywhere. Anyone with a wireless-ready laptop or PDA can surf the Internet at one of these hotspots. The same is now true for all 32 branches of the Orange County Public Library (OCPL) in California. Though many public library systems are moving toward wireless access, most require patrons to have a library card for authentication in order to gain access to an Internet connection. At OCPL, however, anyone with a wireless-ready laptop can come in and utilize the network without having a library card. Connecting to the Internet with their own PCs allows patrons to do things they can?t do on a branch's public-access computers. For example, there is no time limit when using the wireless network. Patrons can surf the Internet all day long without waiting in line or having to worry about when they have to give up their spots to someone else. A patron can also download information to his computer; downloading is not allowed on most branch computers. But with his own machine, a patron can essentially access the OCPL wireless network whenever he wants and download pictures, e-mail, or other documents for further processing at his convenience. In this article, the author describes the requirements, system features, and security concerns involved with this type of wireless network.