Digital Lab Equipment Collection Development Policy

The purpose of the Digital Lab Equipment Collection is to support the curriculum by facilitating the creation and instruction of multimedia assignments. All resources, purchase or gift, should be available equally to students, faculty and staff, within the library or through circulation.

Objectives of the Digital Lab Equipment Collection Development Policy

• To outline the procedures for acquiring new equipment and for refreshing the collection.

Scope and Equipment Categories in the Digital Lab Collection

• The Digital Lab Collection consists of equipment necessary for the capture of image and audio files for use in multimedia assignments.
• Digital Lab equipment categories include but are not limited to:
• Still and video capture and display units (cameras, flatbed and 3D scanners, projection and supports)
• Mobile devices (tablets and supports)
• Audio capture and production devices (sound recorders, microphones, MIDI instruments and headphones)
• Studio Lighting (flash units, video lighting and supports)
• Multimedia output (3D and document printers; desktop and large format inkjet printers)

Procedure for Acquisition of Equipment for the Digital Lab Equipment Collection

Typically, the Digital Lab requests equipment collaboratively with Academic Technology Services (ATS) through its annual budget process. The Digital Initiatives Coordinator in concert with ATS staff researches relevant items to support multimedia integration into University coursework. Criteria include but are not limited to:

• Item cost per unit
• Usefulness of item within curriculum support and compatibility with other items within the collection
• Potential frequency of use
• Company profile related to customer support, parts, warranties and user communities
• Product life cycle
• Product and media format

Gifts: The Digital Initiatives Coordinator will evaluate donations for potential inclusion in the collection. The criteria above apply as well as the following considerations:

• Item condition
• Consistent with existing technology
• Compatibility with existing items within the collection

Procedure for Refreshing Equipment for the Digital Lab Collection

The Digital Initiatives Coordinator in collaboration with ATS staff will adhere to industry best practices for equipment refresh rates while maintaining current equipment. Considerations for equipment refresh rates will include periodic evaluation of current technologies within the collection. Criteria governing equipment refresh include but are not limited to:

• Age and condition of the item
• Availability and cost of replacement items
• Duplication of item with other existing technologies
• Item usage statistics