Media Lab: Policies

Media Lab Workspaces

• The Media Lab is open to students, faculty, staff, and district residents with valid library cards. Priority is given to students completing work for COD classes.
• Workstations must be checked out with a valid COD Library card.
• Media Lab workstations are available for 3-hours at time, and can be reserved in advance by current COD students.
• The Media Lab offers several workstation configurations, each designed to suit the requirements of different types of projects. If you don’t know what workstation is best for your project, Media Lab staff can help match your needs with resources. Media Lab staff may also adjust your reservation to make sure all of our users have access to the most appropriate resources for their project.
• Capacity limits for spaces will be enforced:
  • Workstations #1-8: 1 user at a time
  • Workstations #9-10 & Sound Booth: 2 users at a time
  • Recording Studio: 4 users at a time
  • Film Production Studio: 6 users at a time
• No food or drinks are allowed in Sound Booth, Recording Studio, or Film Production Studio. Drinks or liquids are not permitted near computer workstations. Snacks or water can be kept at the collaboration table near the TV while using the spaces. The Library food policy applies in all other workspaces.
• Headphones must be used at workstations. Volume must be kept at reasonable levels in all spaces so as not to disturb other users, at the discretion of Media Lab staff.
• Use of cell phones and loud conversations are not allowed in the Media Lab.
• Damage of equipment or spaces is the responsibility of the person checking out the space. Patrons may be fined if an item is damaged during their use and the patron is found at fault. Please report any equipment or software problems to Media Lab staff immediately to avoid any fines or further issues.

Support

Media Lab staff will provide support for installed software and hardware. Staff will also do their best to support additional web-based services and technologies.

Media Lab Equipment

• You must be a currently enrolled COD student to check out equipment. Equipment must be checked out with a valid COD Library card/Student ID or Student ID number with picture ID. Student ID cards can be printed at the Library Circulation desks.
• Cameras, audio recording devices, and other equipment can be checked out by students for up to ONE WEEK at a time.
• All equipment needs to be reserved online before checkout.
• All Media Lab equipment must be returned to the Media Lab. Do not return any equipment in book drops.
• Some equipment must remain in the Library. These in-Library items have a THREE-HOUR checkout.
• The Media Lab offers many items for checkout, each designed to suit the requirements of different types of projects. If you don’t know what may work best for your project, Media Lab staff can help match your needs with resources.
• Students are expected to use Media Lab computers and peripherals in a professional and responsible manner. Patrons who damage or lose equipment will be charged for repair or replacement costs.
• It is the responsibility of the student to make sure all equipment is verified in place at time of checkout. Media Lab staff should open and verify all pieces for an item are in place. It is the student's duty to make sure this is done before checkout to account for any lost or broken pieces. Please report any equipment or software problems to Media Lab staff immediately to avoid any fines or further issues.

Support

Media Lab staff will provide support for installed software and hardware. Staff will also do their best to support additional web-based services and technologies. User manuals and/or guides are provided on the website checkout area for each individual item. Additional quick start materials may be available upon request.

You are responsible for saving your own work. Have an external memory or cloud storage device ready before starting a project. Library staff are not responsible for lost data or files.

Media Lab computers are programmed to erase all local files (passwords, cookies, downloads, saves, etc.) when they are shut down or restarted. All workstations are restarted between patrons.

All SD cards and media storage on equipment is wiped or reformatted when the item is checked in. There is no way to recover files or data from a device once the item has been checked in and the process completed.