In a cable-cutting ceremony Tuesday, the administration and computing services departments celebrated the grand opening of a new 24-hour, Internet-wired computer lab, fully-equipped for the disabled and a study area on the first floor of the J. Paul Leonard Library.
"All of us at J. Paul Leonard take pride in creating what we think will be a wonderful, safe, secure place, offering students both the quiet study space and the access to computer resources they need - any hour of the day or night," University Librarian Deborah Masters said at the opening ceremony.
Before a crowd of more than 30 people in the 160-seat quiet study area adjacent to the lab, Associated Students President Lee Sprague thanked the administration and computing services "for realizing the students' needs, for bringing the resources and the people and the communication necessary to make this thing happen."
University President Robert Corrigan said the opening of a 24-hour computer lab and study area was essential to providing students with more access to technological resources to those who have limited access.
About 65 percent of SF State students reported having access to computers off-campus while 50 percent reported having a modem, Corrigan said.
"There's always going to be that need for a student population that does not have the facilities at work or in a home," Corrigan said.
Except for holidays, the lab, which is just to the right of the turnstiles at the library's main entrance, will be open seven days a week. It houses 24 stations, each with Internet and World Wide Web access as well as word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphic programs. There also will be three e-mail-only stations without chairs, or "quick stations," where students can check their e-mail.
In all, the transformation of the old first-floor study area into the dual facility cost an estimated $89,000, according to Computer Lab Manager Don Danner. He said the funds came from the 1996-97 projected budget.
"Through the creativity of my accounting folks and my budget folks, we were able to find the dollars," Don Scoble, vice president for business and finance, said.
The lab is fully equipped with furniture and adaptive software for the disabled. Each of the eight rows of tables are set up five feet apart and have adjustable keyboard desktops, making the lab more accessible for students in wheelchairs.
Electronic Resources librarian Ned Fielden, who uses a wheelchair, said that of all the computer labs he has used, this one is the most impressive and comfortable.
"There's a lot of room," Fielden said. "I've never seen an adjustable table like this."
In compliance with the American Disability Act, three of the computers have software specially designed for the disabled such as Dragon Dictate, a voice-activated program, and Vocal Eyes, which reads the screen when directed by certain key strokes.
After the ceremony concluded, those in attendance took a tour of the lab, where lab consultant Dylan Woon demonstrated one of the frills of the new a facility - a spherical camera the size of a tennis ball that broadcasts real-time digital video images onto several of the new 17-inch monitors.
The lab houses 10 Macintosh computers and 14 Pentium personal computers.
Free printouts are available on three dot-matrix printers, and laser prints are available for 10 cents each with a copy card. In addition, there are two scanners in the new lab.
The lab is staffed by two consultants Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. After hours, a security guard furnished by the University Police Department patrols the lab and study area.
Before cutting the red, blue and yellow computer wires which served as a ribbon, SF State President Robert Corrigan said, "I think these rituals are very, very important - an occasion to come together like this when we do something that's extraordinarily important for the life of the campus.
"Most of all, this is for the students. This is what a university is all about," Corrigan said.
[ Golden Gater Online September 5, 1996 ]
[ Top of document ]
© All Rights Reserved
Formatted by Steve Thoemke (sthoemke@nermal.santarosa.edu )