WATCH THE RECORDING OF THIS PRESENTATION AT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKtNw92iw64
Your Name and Title: Bill Pardue, Digital Services Librarian
Library, School, or Organization Name: Arlington Heights Memorial Library
Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Illinois, United States
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience(s): Public libraries, school libraries
Short Session Description (one line): An overview of how a new breed of "smart telescopes" can become part of libraries' astronomy-related programming and lending.
Full Session Description (as long as you would like):
Many public libraries have an established history of lending telescopes to their patrons, using either off-the-shelf telescopes or ones modified as part of the Library Telescope project. More recently, many amateur astronomers have taken to using small robotic telescopes that allow them to capture impressive solar, lunar and deep-sky images with a minimal amount of setup, and which have built-in tools to deal with the issue of urban light pollution. This particular niche has become known as Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA), and it has had a major impact on the hobby. In 2024, the Arlington Heights (IL) Memorial Library purchased multiple Seestar S50 robotic telescopes, initially for programming purposes (related to the April 2024 solar eclipse), but ultimately with the idea of lending them to the public. This program will address the rationale behind purchasing these devices, as well as costs, how they were used for programming and prepared for lending. I will also discuss the range of products and supports available to libraries that might want to look into EAA themselves. As a bonus, I will share some very pretty pictures and a silly promotional video.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:
Smart Telescope Manufacturers
Under $1,000
- SeeStar (ZWO)/SeeStar S30 & S50: https://www.seestar.com/
- DwarfLabs/Dwarf 3: https://dwarflab.com/
Over $1,000
- Vaonis/Vespera: https://vaonis.com/
- Unistellar/Odyssey & eVscope: https://www.unistellar.com/
- Celestron/Origin: https://www.celestron.com/origin
US retailers mentioned in the presentation
(Not an endorsement...you may find others)
You can also usually purchase directly from the manufacturer or ask them for a retailer in you region.
- Library Telescope Program (NOT Smart Telescopes!)
https://www.librarytelescope.org/
Directory of Astronomy Clubs and Organizations
Good to know for programming, technical assistance, etc.
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library's promotional video on Instagram:
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