BY KENNETH SCOTT // NOV. 17, 2014 //

Curry College’s library has undergone some relatively big changes within its relatively small confines. From iPad rentals to color printing, technology is playing a larger role in the campus’s educational support services.

The Levin Library has added additional printers to the first and second floor, including a color printer/scanner/copier that sits next to the information desk at the main entrance. Library Director Ed Tallent said the investment shows “we are listening to and accommodating the needs of students.”

Specifically, students studying art, graphic design and science often need more than just black and white printing capabilities, Tallent said. And instead of making photocopies from a book, students can now scan and email the pages to themselves, cutting down on paper waste and costs.

The library has also expanded its online research databases. One feature allows the purchase of e-books based on student interest. If two or three students research an e-book via the library’s database, Tallent said, the library will automatically purchase the e-book.

“The library’s new databases and data systems are directly linked to Curry’s course curriculum,” he added. “The technological advances we have made will help us move our print library online.”

Moving away from print resources is a priority at Curry, as physical space is something the library obviously lacks. With more learning resources digitized, the newly freed up space could be used for student or faculty meetings, academic events, and student study groups, Tallent said. It should also make it easier for students to find the resources they seek.

Said freshman psychology major Samantha Badillo, who visits the library every day, “finding books is really hard.” Other students complained about a lack of available computers.

To that end, the library does offer students—and faculty—free rentals of iPads; Curry owns 10 of them. However, Tallent said students are using the iPad’s mostly for “recreational purposes, as opposed to the educational purposes for which they were purchased.”

Nonetheless, it’s a move in the right direction. “The technological advancements are great,” said Tallent, “but there are still changes that need to be made in terms of physical space.”