Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Is printing really FREE?

New students are often pleasantly surprised that they can print materials in the library for “free.” But that’s not exactly true. Here is what our systems librarian, David Robinson, has to say on the subject:

“Contrary to popular belief … printing in University labs is not ‘free’. Printing is subsidized by a portion of a $100 Technology Access Fee (TAF) that each student pays each semester. The TAF helps to fund the lab, but does not cover everything. About 35% of the cost of printing comes out of the Library’s budget. That means, that your decision to print that Powerpoint presentation, rather than viewing it online, may be the factor that prevents the Library from buying a book that can be used over and over again. Last year, over 6,500,000 pages were printed in the Library. Something to think about.”

Please print wisely. It’s an economic and environmental issue.

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