Proposal

Before explaining this proposal, problems in the existing printing system should be addressed. These problems can be improved through this proposal.

Since the 1980s when it instituted a micro-computer laboratory, the Brooks library provides computer-based service for students and university faculties. It also offers computer accessing, paper printing, as well as paper scanning without charging the students. There are over a hundred thousand pages in the recycle bins every day; the longer the office hours are, the more pages the recycle bins have. The printers in the Brooks library are HP laser printers and need to be repaired every month. The cost of maintaining these printers and electricity is estimated more than 20 percent of the total miscellaneous cost of the whole library. The printing system faces fierce situations of wasted resources.

The cause attributed to the wastes of the printing system is lack of obligations and knowledge. For example, some students forget to pick up their copies or some students cannot find their copies so they print them again. Printing service is free so students can print as many pages as they want. At the same time, there are some public computers which allow people to use and print pages without usernames and passwords, so people have no responsibilities to save paper for the library. In addition, many students do not know how to print double-sided pages and how to print Power Point slides in handouts format. Students have no knowledge about how to save paper even though they really want to.

The situations show that it is necessary to improve the printing system, and the library did some efforts to solve these problems. Given the serious situation of wastes, the library tried to charge money for printing pages, but this plan failed because the printing system has always been free for a long time, and students did not accept it. Therefore, the library set up a printing station on the first floor, which has six printers and one staff who is responsible to pick up copies for students. After printing copies, students need to take them from the staff, and copies from these printers have account names so students can find their copies easily. In addition, banners illustrate how to print double-sided and Power Point slides are post on the wall of every computer lab. These methods have saved much resource, but if students still have no obligation about paper saving, these problems will be harsh for the library.

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