The Media Services Center at Emerson has moved its media collection from the third floor of the Ansin Building at 180 Tremont St. to the library this summer, and now features new workstations and software for students and professors to use.
The media collection consists of CDs, DVDs, laserdiscs, audiotapes and 16mm and streaming film that students can check out at the media desk in the library.
In addition, professors can take classes to a preview room located outside the office of Maureen Tripp, the media librarian, in room 321. With the media collection relocated to the library, it is now available for students until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 9 p.m. on Friday, and 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The Media Services Center at the Ansin Building, which is an extension of the Integrated Technology Department, received some changes of its own over the summer, said Head of Media Services Cheryl Schaffer. These were the first changes since its move to 180 Tremont St. in 1995, when it moved from the library, then located at 150 Beacon St.
Six rooms that were formerly viewing rooms for the media collection in the Ansin Building are now computer workstations with the same software as in campus computer labs, as well as the software for the film editing program Final Cut Pro.
The rooms can still be used to view DVD or VHS films and feature LCD flat panels. One of the computer stations features the online tutorial program Lynda.com, which instructs students on how to use a variety of software.
“We wanted to make sure these rooms continued to get used,” said Schaffer in an e-mail. “We believe that students will enjoy having the individual spaces to edit video and work on projects.”
Other updates to the center include a second Final Cut Pro station, which features 36-inchLCD flat panels for editing, a video digitalizing service and a tutoring program which allows students to work one-on-one with center staff members. Staff members are able to assist students with course assignments that involve use of media.
“This new service takes into account that students have different levels of computer literacy and may need assistance in using the technology required in their coursework,” Schaffer said.
Tripp thinks it will now be more convenient for students to be able to access the media collection at the library rather than going over to the center, especially since the media collection is officially part of the Emerson College non-print collection. “We were always part of the library,” said Tripp.
The numbers of students checking out media items in September and October were slightly down from the average, however. “A lot of people still haven’t figured [the move] out,” she said.
Students can use the library computers to view DVDs from the media collection or bring their own films and use the projector.
New facilities also include 10 viewing rooms located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Walker Building that can be which can also be used as study rooms, which Tripp said have been getting lots of use during this school year.
Graduate student Michelle Hunter said she has started using the rooms for the first time.
“I think they’re great,” Hunter said, who is working toward a master’s degree in journalism. “They’re very inviting. I came in here today and thought, ‘Wow, this is a nice space.'”