The purpose of the Digital Lab equipment collection is to support the curriculum by facilitating the creation and instruction of multimedia assignments. All resources, purchases or gifts, are available to all current University of Portland students, faculty and staff. The following outlines the procedures for acquiring new equipment and for refreshing the collection.
Contact the Digital Lab by visiting the service desk, located in Shiley Marcos 301, or at dlab@up.edu for more information regarding equipment. Visit the lab’s Equipment page for a list of current offerings.
Scope and Equipment Categories
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, media projection and camera supports)
- Audio capture and production devices (sound recorders, microphones, digital and analog instruments, and headphones)
- Studio Lighting (flash units, video lighting, and supports)
- Multimedia output (desktop and large format inkjet printers)
New Equipment Acquisition Procedure
Typically, the Digital Lab Coordinator requests equipment annually. The Coordinator 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
Current Equipment Refreshing Procedure
The Digital Lab Coordinator adheres to industry best practices for equipment refresh rates while maintaining current equipment. Considerations for equipment refresh rates include periodic evaluations of current technologies within the collection. Criteria governing equipment refreshes include but are not limited to:
- Item availability and replacement cost
- Item age and condition
- Duplication of item with other existing technologies
- Item usage statistics
Donations
The Digital Lab Coordinator evaluates donations for potential inclusion in the collection. The criteria above apply as well as the following considerations:
- Item condition and obsolescence
- Compatibility with existing items within the collection