Computing and Information Services, a department dedicated to providing the Rensselaer campus with support of information services and technology, welcomes all new and returning students to Rensselaer for the Fall 2000 semester.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes involves the large number of public computer labs that have been converted to accommodate laptop users in anticipation of the greatly expanded number of both students and faculty who will be using laptops in their coursework. A number of "hybrid" rooms, which house both laptop jacks and a number of desktop machines, are also available in the CII, Pittsburgh 4114, the Science Center, the VCC, and in Walker.
Students will also appreciate the on-campus cable TV system that delivers service to all residence halls. This service, which is provided at no additional charge, offers about 35 channels of programming, along with a campus bulletin board and the capability of including several channels of campus-specific programming, which Rensselaer may use in order to televise certain campus events, such as a presentation by a prominent guest speaker.
And if you need additional computing help as the semester wears on, please contact ACS' student consultants in the CII, VCC, and Warren Hall Help Desk locations; you can stop by in person, phone ext. 7777, or direct electronic mail to consult@rpi.edu.
The Rensselaer Libraries may be very different from other libraries you have used elsewhere. As one of the country's most progressive "digital libraries," we've focused on building electronic collections of information that are delivered via networked or remote access, and have expanded awareness of what's available through the use of research databases. Modern libraries are increasingly being evaluated by digital services rather than the traditional measures such as "volumes held" or "journal titles owned," and as a result, Rensselaer's Libraries continue to try to deliver information "on-demand," either through full-text on-line or by rapid document delivery from external sources. The Libraries have also added several important electronic information resources this year, so check out the RensSearch homepage, located at the URL http://www.rpi.edu/dept/library/html/ for the latest news.
In addition to their on-line services, the Libraries also have a staff of dedicated, patient, and approachable people who understand the frustrations that you may encounter using computers and information technology and who will be glad to help you. You can bring them a specific question, attend a class, or take a tour if you are just interested in learning about how to use the library in general. The library also scans instructional materials for faculty, providing on-line course reserves to be used by students from anywhere on the campus network. The Architecture Library in the Greene Building contains over 85,000 slides on contemporary and historical buildings, and the Folsom Library's Institute Archives houses historical and special collections of interest to campus, alumni, and regional historians. The library also coordinates RPInfo, the campuswide website, and offers web workshops and assistance in creating web pages. There are many public access PCs, Macs and UNIX workstations here too, often available when other labs and classrooms are full or closed; the Library now sports upgraded machines in its computer lab, and also provides over 200 network connections throughout the building for laptop use.
The library is a great place to meet friends, enjoy the Café, find a best-seller to read, or to just relax. You can reserve a group study room or view a video in an AV carrel. Folsom Library is open over 100 hours a week and offers a change of pace, a quiet space, or a rendezvous.
So, come on over to the Library, and check us out!
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