Donnelley and Lee Library’s 24/7 computer lab stations give the College’s students free access to use a PC. Recently, there have been numerous complaints regarding how productive a student actually can be while using these computers.
The average amount of time it takes to
start up, log on to a computer, and launch
Internet Explorer on a 24/7 library
computer.
Adil Hussain ’16, a frequent user of these computers, said that while the computers are convenient, they are “way too slow” and “unreliable… and need to be upgraded.” A student took to Yik Yak to complain about the slow speed of the computers and jokingly wrote that the computers can “sense your fear,” as frustrated students think that the computers get slower as deadlines get closer.
Some students have begun to abandon these computers in favor of laptops, because they believe the computers are too slow. One student believes that students’ decisions to not use the computers in the lab is not because of the speed of the computers but is due to the “library environment and how people treat it as a social playground rather than the library.” He also blamed the Lake Forest internet connection, which he believes is too slow.
The library’s staff, on the other hand, believes that the computer lab boosts students’ efficiency rather than wasting time and increasing student stress. Will Karsten ’05, the library’s evening and weekend circulation supervisor, personally feels that the computers and other technology at the Donnelley and Lee Library “are a great asset to the school because it contains all the necessary resources to successfully finish a class.”
“Around nine out of 10 times, the reason why the computer and the printer fails is due to the students themselves,” Karsten said when asked why some students feel otherwise.
Students often “leave printing and other computer-related activities to the last minute,” according to an anonymous source who works at the library. The anonymous worker mentioned that students expect to “get it all done with the click of a button,” and do not realize that “the computer is as efficient as the person who is using it.”
While the quality and speed of the computer lab’s PCs are debated between the students and the library staff, there are some improvements that could be made. Some of the 24/7 lab computers, for example, do not have the popular SPSS program used by psychology majors for many research projects.
If you have any problems or suggestions regarding the computers, report them to the circulation desk, as the library staff may not be aware of all issues that students are experiencing.
