The Conestoga community gathered at the Library Resource Centre at the Doon campus on March 7 to celebrate the grand opening of the Tech Bar -- the library’s new hub for tech support and technology loans.
The library's new Tech Bar at Conestoga's Doon campus provides technology loans and one-on-one tech support to students and employees.
The Tech Bar offers in-person assistance to students and employees using technology to learn, study, collaborate and create. From one-on-one help with software and printing to loaning laptops and cameras, the Tech Bar provides a wide selection of services and resources.
The new service area quietly opened in mid-October, and according to Library Resource Centre director Trish Weigel Green, has already seen a lot of use, averaging more than 1,000 questions per month. That number is in addition to the more than 1,000 technology questions answered monthly within both the Doon and Cambridge library locations and roughly the same in technology equipment loans. In fall 2016, library staff and tech tutors assisted with approximately 5,500 tech-related questions, jumping to 7,800 in fall 2017 with the addition of the Tech Bar.
Weigel Green says the impetus for a Tech Bar came from the volume of tech support the library provides and the need for students and employees to raise their tech skills. “Academic tutors are available if you’re struggling in a course,” said Weigel Green, “but where do you go if you’re struggling with technology?” Having full-time and part-time tech tutors and representatives available helps fill that need. Weigel Green also plans to add workshops and open demonstrations to the list of services the Tech Bar provides.
Tech tutors are available for drop-in support, and consultation appointments can be made through the Library Resource Centre’s website for 30-minute intervals. A full list of borrowable tech and equipment can also be found online.
In addition to college support, funds for the Tech Bar project were provided by the Conestoga Students Inc. Student Priority Fee and furniture was provided by the college’s Information Technology Services.
With locations at Doon and Cambridge, and online services available to students and employees at all Conestoga campuses, the Library Resource Centre works to advance and enrich student learning, contribute to teaching excellence and support research at Conestoga.