Printing required students to reserve a desktop at the Library / Learning Crossroads, but now it’s as simple as using your iPhone.
For the students that rely on printing at the library, it might become a lot easier and quicker to print a paper right before class with wireless printing.
Chair of the Library Department Paula Paggi has been trying to incorporate wireless printing for students in the library. She said students could send materials from their cellphones, tablets, or computers to print in the copy tech room without having to use one of the desktop computers.
“We should finally rise to a priority, in the sense that this is what the students are using, this is what they need, and not put another obstacle in getting their work done and succeeding,” Paggi said.
Technology Librarian Clay Gediman said the library prioritizes wireless printing for students to make it easier to turn in academic assignments.
“If they have something saved on their computer, how are you going to get to it,” Gediman said. “You’d have to print from one of our workstations, and that’s fine. We have a lot of places that they can print from, but even then it gets crowded and it’s not the most convenient thing.”
Colleges, such as LA Trade Tech and Harbor, have already implemented this technology. Paggis said that Pierce has communicated with them to learn about the programs.
John Mallari, an English major, said he thinks wireless printing will make printing more accessible.
“I’m open to it. I think it will ultimately be easier, and it’s nice to have the option,” Mallari said.
Gediman said he noticed a growth of twice as many students using tablets and cellphones to get their work done.
“So many students are relying so much more on their own devices. People are still using laptops, so that hasn’t gone away, but tablets are also added in, phones are added in for more functionality,” Gediman said. “We’ve been pushing for it for a while. We’re seeing students just using their own materials more.”
Music major Jeremy Hernandez said it would make it so that students get in and out quickly.
“I print things on campus, and I would probably use it much more if there was wireless printing,” Hernandez said.
For five years, the library worked to have the WI-FI and the payment methods updated to expedite printing, Paggi said.
Because not all students carry cash, they are now able to pay to print with cash or credit cards.
After changing that, library staff decided to put in the order for wireless printing. However, Paggi said there have been issues because InfoTech has different priorities.
“To facilitate their work, we should be able to do WI-FI printing,” Paggi said. “It should rise to a priority.”
Wireless printing wasn’t ranked as a top priority, and there is only one person that can manage the program, Paggi said.
She said she doesn’t think it’s a factor of cost, but of time and work. She thinks it’s important to get this program going, and have it rank higher in priority to help the students.
There are items on the list of priorities before the wireless printing, such as the Wi-Fi connectivity issues and the electronic bulletin board at the Mall.
Once that gets resolved, Paggi hopes the wireless printing will be next on the list, unless there is something else of more importance.
