El Camino College’s has installed a new copy and print system from Pharos at its Schauerman Library as part of a planned modernization that promised to overhaul student printing.
As reported by The Union, the new system has incorporated automated touch screens that see students swipe their campus cards with a at the machine to access their account and release print jobs. Alternatively, students with $5 or more in their account can release print jobs via an online portal available at the library homepage rather than swipe their ID at the kiosk.
The new Library print webpage provides a step-by-step instructional page on how to navigate the new system, including how to use the add value machines and manage print jobs. In addition to overhauling the in-library print experience, students can also leverage the system to call up a print job from anywhere on campus. The price to print remains unchanged, the path to print has hindered some students.
As with any new deployment, there have been minor growing pains with the new system but library officials expect that working closely with Pharos will help to resolve and troubleshoot any kinks over the coming weeks.
Leveraging the student ID for copy/print is also expected to provide greater protection for student accounts, as the unique card numbers are now attached to print jobs. The cards’ magnetic stripe, meanwhile, will be used to release jobs and add value to copy/print accounts via new hardware provided by Ricoh.
The library overhaul consists of five copy machines and six printers. Following the overhaul, El Camino College has no future update plans, as it continues to polish and troubleshoot early kinks with the aim to have the system completely functional by the end of the semester.
