Down to the Wire: How the DSL Can Help You Succeed

It’s December now, and finals are fast approaching. Do you have a big digital project to complete and turn in before you can head home for the holiday festivities?

If so, do you know all the ways that the Digital Scholarship Lab can help you out?

The Media & Reserve Services Desk in the Lower Level of the Raynor Library

Software

The Lab offers a variety of software that you might need to create your digital media object. Some of it is specific to the computers in the DSL space, while other programs are accessible with the DSL circulating macs and laptops that can be checked out from the Media and Reserve Desk in the Lower Level of Raynor. And the lab also offers the Digital Toolbox, recommended free or open-source tools that can be downloaded onto personal computers or used in your web browser; these are tools that were created to use in making dynamic and professional-quality digital media objects.

If you need to:

• Create an infographic: you could use Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Adobe InDesign, or Adobe Illustrator. Other software or tools that might come in handy include Adobe Photoshop for editing image files, and the web-based infographic creator PiktoChart ideas where you can create your graphic right on the web. PowerPoint and Publisher can be used on any desktop or laptop computer in the library, Mac or PC. All of the desktop computers (Mac and PC) in the DSL have Adobe Creative Cloud loaded on them, as well as the iMac and PC located in the Digital Editing Studio. The software suite is also accessible on the (yellow) Macbook Pros that can be checked out for 4-hour loan periods. You can use Adobe CC software on the iMacs located on the first and second floor of Raynor as well.
• Record a podcast or interview: you could use Audacity, which is available at on the library’s iMac stations and all Macbook Pros (yellow and blue). The program is also located on the PC and iMac in the Digital Editing Studio, where you can also record your podcast and edit it. And, Audacity is a free, open-source, cross-platform program, which means you can download it onto your personal computers without having to get a license or subscription. Or, if you’re more familiar with Adobe’s CC products, you could use Adobe Audition, a program for recording and mixing audio. You can find it on the Digital Scholarship Lab computers, iMacs in the building, and also on the Macbook Pros in the yellow cases.
• Make a video presentation: you could use Adobe Premiere Pro (available on all DSL computers, as well as the iMacs throughout Raynor) or Windows Essentials Movie Maker. Or, if you’re more familiar with the Apple apps, the DSL computers and yellow MacBook Pros are loaded with iMovie. The Digital Editing Studio has the most advanced editing options available for you to use, software like Avid Media Composer (PC) and Final Cut Pro (Mac) to help you edit and finalize your video.
• Print a large-format poster: you could use several of the digital image and digital publishing programs available in the DSL to create your poster image, including Microsoft’s PowerPoint and Publisher programs as well as Adobe’s Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator software. Once you have your poster saved as a PDF, you can submit it with our Large-Format Printing request form. You can find more information on the specifics of poster printing here.

Equipment

Sometimes, creating a digital media object will require specialized equipment that you might not have on hand or want to purchase for yourself. The DSL has a circulating collection of digital equipment available to students, faculty, and staff for short-term checkouts.

Some of the equipment you can checkout includes:

• Laptop PCs [4-hour loan]: the PCs offer traditional productivity and office software, including the full Microsoft Office suite. And you can also use Windows Essential Movie Maker on them to edit your video files.
• Macbook Pros [4-hour loan]: the Macbooks include a number of programs that could be helpful in creating a digital media project, including Audacity, Garageband, iMovie, and more, along with traditional office and productivity software. And the Macbooks with the yellow skins come with Adobe Creative Cloud on them, so you can use programs like Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Audition, or Premiere Pro.
• Video Cameras [3-day loan]: the DSL has four different kinds of video cameras in our collection. The most popular are the Canon Vixias, but we also offer Sony HDRs, Samsun HMXs, and a GoPro Hero 4 that have all been used in a variety of projects by our students.
• Digital Cameras [3-day loan]: if you need to take photos for your project, the DSL has several options for you to choose from, including a Canon Powershot SX with 12.1 megapixels and 20x optical zoom; a Fuji Finepix with 16 megapixels and 15x optical zoom. Or, if you are a more advanced photographer or would like to take the highest quality pictures or in RAW format instead of JPG, the Digital Scholarship Lab has a Canon EOS 80D that features 24.2MP and advanced focusing technology. This DSLR comes with an 18–135mm lens, and it’s also possible to check out accessory items to use with the camera, including a microphone and wireless remote. In order to use the camera, you’ll have to have a short orientation with a member of the DSL staff, but once you’ve done that you’re free to reserve and schedule time with the camera by contacting the DSL and making a reservation.
• Microphones [4-hour or 3-day loan]: you can checkout several different kinds of microphones in the Lab. Some can be used with any computer, just by plugging it into a USB port, like the Blue Snow Ball USB microphone, available for 4-hour checkouts and intended to be used in the Digital Editing Studio. This mic is ideal for recording podcasts, adding voice over to video, or doing sit-down interviews. There is also mics that can be checked out on a 3-day loan instead, like the handheld and lavaliere (clip-on) microphones that are for use with the Canon Vixia cameras. These are great for doing on-camera interviews or capturing audio with minimal background noise while filming. Or, you can checkout a headset microphone that you can plug into either a Mac or a PC and record single-voice podcasts or record voice overs for presentations or videos.
• Tripods [3-day loan]: the Lab has a number of tripods available to checkout with the video cameras or digital cameras. You can check out a 52" Mangus telescoping model, the 9.7" Mangus tabletop tripod, or the super-flexible Gorilla tripods, with multiple joints that can each bend and rotate 360°.
• External Hard Drives [3-day loan]: some projects, especially ones involving video or film, can be too big for a regular flash drive or your email account to handle. The DSL can check out an external hard drive compatible with both Mac and PC computers, and you can safely transfer your items from one computer to another without worrying that it might get deleted from the computer station you were working on or the laptop you had checked out.

Services

But what if you don’t know how to use a program? Or you need help finalizing your project? Or you’re even just getting started and the whole thing seems overwhelming?

Don’t worry.

We can help.

The Digital Scholarship Lab is dedicated to supporting students and faculty with their digital media needs. You can schedule a media consult with one of our full-time staff or tutors with the Consultation Request Form. And our Digital Media Tutors are available to help with walk-in questions from 4–8 pm Monday through Thursday during the academic term.

Maybe you’re wondering when the best time in your project timeline to come into the lab is? And the answer is that there’s no wrong time.

We’re here to help at every stage of your project, from beginning to end. You could schedule a DSL consult early in the process, where our staff would be able to talk through the scope of your assignment with you, your ideas and what equipment and software we have available that you might find useful. If you hit obstacles as you go and need help troubleshooting a piece of equipment or a software program you’re not familiar with, you could schedule another consult or come to see a media tutor. And when you get to the end and want to put the finishing touches on it or have questions about the best way to present your work, we’re here to help with that too.

So as the semester winds down, good luck with your projects, and remember: the DSL is here to help you.

Come on in and say hello!