Library and Technology Services has made several logistical changes to the location and improvement of certain services offered in the Goldfarb and Farber libraries, Assistant Director for Resource Sharing Evan Simpson said.Among these changes was the relocation of the writing center to Goldfarb 1. The writing center, which used to be located on the Farber Mezzanine, will now be closer to the public computer cluster in the information commons, which will also place it closer to reference and research support.

"We really felt like the importance and popularity of the service provided by the writing center justified making it more accessible," Simpson said.

Simpson also confirmed that there were no funding issues or considerations for this adjustment; it was "just a matter of moving equipment to new space."

The former writing center's space will be converted to a new group study room. Simpson said, "Not only do we move the writing center closer to where the action is, but we actually gain another group study space, which we know is something that students and instructors really want."

LTS has also expanded the number of computers and some of the equipment available to support multimedia software in the Getz Multimedia Lab, located on Farber 3. According to the LTS Web site, the Getz Multimedia Lab "is a space dedicated to encouraging advanced, exploratory work in integrated multimedia authoring. We provide access to powerful tools for designing and producing video, audio, graphics, and animation."

Simpson said, "We've recognized in the course of the last year or so a growing need for access to multimedia software and the kinds of equipment that can support that software. What we really wanted to do was provide that access. The idea was just to give the community something they clearly wanted more of."

Simpson did not attribute this recognition to any quantifiable number but said that the decision was made based on the increasing popularity of the multimedia lab last year.

The expansion of equipment in the Getz Multimedia Lab was made possible by the removal of the listening desk, according to Simpson. The listening desk was a place where library users could go and check out CDs and records, and was accompanied by a series of listening stations, such as LP, CD and cassette players. The CDs and records have been moved to the information commons on Goldfarb 1, which allows for easier browsing.

By removing the listening desk, "we made CDs more accessible and we were able to open more space for multimedia support," Simpson said. "There is no more listening desk, but that does not equate to a removal of a service; it's just making that service better."

There will also be a new room in the information commons dedicated to microfilm reading and printing, according to Simpson. "When we recognized an open office space, we thought maybe we could put the microfilm equipment there. By doing that, there will be space for two additional computers for the [information] commons," he said.

"There was no reduction in the number of microfilm readers or printers; it was just a logistical change of where they were situated in the library," he said. Simpson expects the microfilm machines will be moved at some point this week.

Students will now be able to access their library accounts with their UNet usernames and passwords, instead of the library PINs that were previously used. The My Account feature allows students to see what they have checked out or if they have fines on an item and it also allows students to request renewals for anything they have checked out, which can all be done online, according to Simpson.

"We are still making the login via library PIN available because we have some outside borrowers from some of our Boston Library Consortium partner institutions, who do have some borrowing privileges at Brandeis," Simpson said. "We needed to keep a way for them to gain access to that account feature, but Brandeis students, faculty and staff will only need their UNet usernames and passwords, which makes it easier to access the functionality of the My Account feature," he said.

Simpson also said that research and technology assistance, while provided and available at many locations throughout the library, will now be available on Farber 2 as well. "This was really just a way of bringing a variety of LTS staff together to help support teaching and research," he said. "We wanted to develop a collaborative atmosphere so that we can draw the expertise of many instead of a few," he added.

These adjustments to the organization and arrangement of the library were made in order to utilize the space available and to "make it easier and more seamless [for users] by tying resources together," Simpson said. "It was a good summer project, and we're happy to have it done on time for this new year," he added.