Technology FAQs

  • General Questions

    Wireless Internet is available at all branches. No password or library card is required. Steps to Connect:

    1. Look for PA_OverAir_Library on your wireless device.
    2. Accept the policy and enjoy 2 hours of access. 

    After 2 hours, you can repeat the process for more Internet access. Please note that we cannot guarantee your equipment will work with our network. Palo Alto City Library assumes no responsibility for the safety of equipment or for laptop configurations, security, or data files resulting from connection to the Library's network.

    Meeting room TVs can be accessed via Airtame using a computer or iPad. Mobile devices are not supported at this time. 

    1. Connect your device to the Library's Wi-Fi. 
    2. Macbook or iPad users:
      • Open the Control Center and enable Screen Mirroring.
      • Select the TV for the meeting room you are in (ex: MPL-Fair-Meadow-RM).
      • View Airtame's How to present with AirPlay for a video tutorial on this process.
    3. Windows users:
      • Open a browser to visit Airtame.com/go and pair your laptop using the code displayed on the TV in the room.
      • View Airtame's How to screen share from a browser for a video tutorial on this process.

    Please note the following:

    • There will be a slight (1-second) delay between computers and the TV display during sessions. 
    • Most devices will not transmit video protected with Digital Rights Management (DRM), such as Netflix, for copyright and legal reasons.  
    • Airtame has minimum requirements of Mac OS 10.13, iOS 11, Windows 7, Chrome OS 69. 
    • To learn more, visit Airtame's Knowledge Center.

    Airtame employs WebRTC which is encrypted, and all sharing sessions do not leave the City of Palo Alto's wifi network.

    Airtame does not store data associated with the sessions. Visit their Knowledge Center to learn more.

    Yes! Chromebook Laptops are available to check out and take home. Loaner laptops and Little Scholar Tablets are available for in-library use.

    Chromebook Laptops

    • Check out with library card and take home for several days.
    • Chrome browser & web-based apps.

    Loaner Laptops

    • Check out with library card and use within library only for limit time.
    • Windows operating system.

    Children's 'Little Scholar Tablets'

    • Available at Children's and Mitchell Park Libraries only.
    • Ages 4-7.
    • Pre-loaded with games, books and songs.

    The library provides Windows PCs to use in the library.

    • Windows 10
    • Web browsers: Chrome, Firefox and Edge
    • Access to online versions of popular office applications (Office.com and Google Docs)

    Chromebooks and children's tablets also are available for checkout. See our Laptop FAQ for more info.

  • Printing

    Yes! Our web printing option works from almost anywhere! Use it while at the library with your laptop or any other personal device.

    Mobile devices running current versions of iOS or Android operating systems also have the option of using a dedicated app. See our FAQ on setting up the app.

    Printing Instructions

    Follow these easy steps to get started.

    1. Choose the library to pick up your print from the list below:

    2. After clicking the link, you will be taken to a page with instructions about how to upload your document(s).

    3. Visit the Print & Pay Station at your selected library to print your document.

    For more ways to print, see our other printing FAQs and the Princh support site.

    Our public printers uses software called Princh to store your files before they are printed, and you may need the following codes to finish printing. Watch this 1 minute video to learn how to use Princh.

    College Terrace Library: 108155
    Downtown Library: 108156
    Mitchell Park Library: 108157
    Rinconada Library: 108158

    For more ways to print, see our other printing FAQs and the Princh support site.

    We do not currently offer 3D printing as a service.

    Are you a teen? If so check out MakeX located just a few minutes away from Mitchell Park Library. 

    Printing from a library computer
    1. Find the nearest print release station, or ask a librarian to help you find one
    2. Use your library card and PIN to sign in at a self service station
    3. Pay with cash, or by using the print account associated with your library card
    Printing from your own device
    1. Find the nearest print release station, or ask a librarian to help you find one
    2. Use the email address used when sending your job to the print station to sign in at a self service station
    3. Pay with cash, or by using the print account associated with your library card

    Note that print jobs are automatically deleted at the end of each business day.

    For more ways to print, see our other printing FAQs.

    These instructions have changed recently! We no longer have individual email addresses for each printer.

    From any email app like Outlook or Gmail on a mobile phone it's possible to print using the Princh app. Installing the Princh app will add a new printer to your system.

    If your a printing from a desktop computer or laptop use our Princh links or visit https://print.princh.com/ and use the corresponding Printer ID to send your print to the correct location (these IDs are also displayed near our public printers).

    Our print services also has additional instructions for specific smartphone apps:

    For more ways to print, see our other printing FAQs and the Princh support site.

    If you are printing from a library computer, you will need a library card and PIN to send your document to our printer system.

    However, if you are printing from a personal device you will only need an email address to send documents to this same system.

    Printing costs are detailed in a separate FAQ.

    Printing costs are:

    • 15¢ per page for b&w prints
    • 50¢ per page for color prints

    Our printing systems accept payments by credit card, cash, or coins. 

    Print from your mobile phone by following these universal printing instructions which use a web browser.

    Our library also has access to a dedicated app for mobile devices called Princh which makes this process very easy. Princh can also help you find public printers outside of our library system.

    Get Princh App in Apple Store, opens an external site Get Princh App in Play Store, opens an external site

    For more ways to print, see our other printing FAQs and the Princh support site.

  • Copying & Scanning

    If you're experiencing difficulty viewing PDF documents directly in your web browser from one of the public PCs, the solution is often to download the PDF to the desktop and open it with a dedicated PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat.

    While we do not have traditional copy machines, we're pleased to offer a convenient alternative that meets the same needs!

    • Our libraries are equipped with high-quality, public-use scanners.
    • Those scans can be sent directly to a printer in the same room as the scanner.
    • This method also makes it easy to email those same copies to yourself, or save your copies to a USB drive.

    See our printing FAQs for more information about the cost to print and how to access these services.