Plugged in!

Laptops are a necessary tool for many of today’s students, but with most battery charges lasting only several hours, the need to plug in becomes crucial in order for them to study. In response to this need, the library recently renovated an area on the 4th floor to add outlets for ten study carrels.

The library opened in 1980, at a time when personal computers were just starting to gain in popularity and were not very portable. Access to electricity for student use was not an issue, and the majority of the outlets in the library’s public area were intended to be used for vacuum cleaners! No one dreamed that within 25 years, many students would be walking around with devices that needed to be plugged in.

For the last several years, the need for more outlets has been at the top of our students’ “wish list.” Library staff members have worked with the university’s Facilities Planning Department to study the problem and recommend solutions. A recent electrical survey revealed that the building is coming close to maxing out the building’s power source and that we have limited options for adding more outlets. In response, we are trying to maximize the outlets and available power that we do have: signage has been added to help students identify outlets not easily seen; tables and study carrels have been shifted closer to floor outlets; and power strips have been added to take full advantage of outlets we do have.

Our latest effort to provide more electrical access involved moving display cases and art glass from the 4th to 3rd floor and bringing single-sided carrels from the 3rd to 4th floor. Electricians were able to add a few additional outlets on the 4th floor for a gain of ten additional study spaces with power. We frequently see these carrels in use; in fact, the electrician was still packing up to leave when three students sat at the carrels and plugged in!

The move also resulted in a nicer display area on the 3rd floor for the Alfred Berkowitz Gallery and its wonderful collection of art glass. The move was a great win-win solution for both students and art lovers!