Alden Library contains millions of pages of information, but some students go to the facility several times a day to use another one of its resources.
The library offers more than 350 computers — a popular option for Ohio University students.
“The increase in the smartphone technology is something that people say will decrease the number of desktops, but we certainly haven’t seen that,” said Kelly Broughton, assistant dean for research and education services at Alden Library.
Alden Library offers 300 PCs and 40 Macs for students to use throughout the general and Music and Dance libraries, as well as 19 printers, 10 scanning stations and 25 PC laptops available for checkout on the second floor, said Carrie Preston, head of Web services for Alden Library.
“There is a strong demand,” Preston said. “There’s always a lot of people using our computers.”
The library spent more than $200,000 this summer to replace 200 PCs, 16 Macs, 25 PC laptops and other multimedia equipment, Preston said.
Old computers are sent to University Surplus to make room for the replacement computers, which are bought through OU’s Tech Depot, Preston said.
But Alden is at full capacity; adding computers would require rewiring to accommodate a larger electricity load.
Alden Library administers several surveys in order to gauge how many students use the library’s technology, all of which have indicated that OU students are satisfied with the number of computers Alden Library provides, Broughton said.
An online service, located on OU Libraries’ Web page, shows which floors have available computers, Preston said.
About 60 percent of students who used the library computers had their own laptops when the survey was last proctored in 2011, Broughton said.
Every three years, OU compares its data with peer institutions’ libraries using the LibQUAL survey, which ranks libraries based on the library’s services, Broughton said.
The LibQUAL survey will be administered again in spring 2015, but in the meantime, Alden Library will examine its use and value to students through the “Day in the Life” survey, which will take place at some point this semester and will poll students who use the second floor Learning Commons about their experiences in Alden Library, Broughton said.
“We’re interested to see when we repeat this survey again if that’s changed,” Broughton said.
Theleisha DeSouza, a freshman studying Latin American studies, said she didn’t bring her laptop to campus because there are vacant library computers she can use every day, several times a day.
“I’m actually glad that these computers are here because it’s very advantageous for me,” DeSouza said. “I don’t have to walk out with an extra load when I leave the house.”
Alden Library’s survey results show it has sufficient technology to support the needs of its students, Broughton said, but it’s something she’s monitoring.
dk123111@ohiou.edu
@DanielleRose84
