Live at the Campbell Library is the newest recording booth open to all students, faculty, and staff at Rowan University. The booth opened on Jan. 23 and is located on the second floor of the university’s library.
The launch of this new room is created for students to create video or audio content, whether for homework, projects, or just for their social media. It is designed to be a space for students to release their creativity, especially for those doing podcasts, which have been emerging in recent years.
Inside this room are headlamps for lightning, and a camera that is controlled by a remote, located above two monitors. One monitor can be found at the top of the camera and that shows what is being recorded. The second monitor positioned under the camera can show a presentation if a student is using one. A microphone is located above the headlamp, and it picks up sound only from the booth.
The recording booth will be open during the same hours as the library, which can be found on the library’s website. For students to book a time slot in the booth, they must have upgraded their Kalura account, which will then allow them to send a request to Rowan Information Resources and Technology (IRT).
Every student looking to book a time must request an upgrade on their account as it is the only way it will allow them to upload media and use the Campbell Library Recording Booth. It must also be done 48 hours in advance, to ensure that a time is secured.
Since this is a fairly new resource on campus, the Campbell Library has created various methods so people can easily understand how to access the booth. On Rowan’s website and in QR codes in the library, students can find the library guide which gives step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial on how to use the recording booth.
Some of its special features include soundproof space, a high-definition video camera, a high-quality microphone, and professional lighting.
For the library staff, this is a step into technological advancements for the Campbell Library. Daniel Pugh, the principal library assistant, expresses how he believes this will help students with their assignments.
“We are always for more technological advancement. Like I know we’ve had students that had to record a podcast for a class and there’s not really a good space in the library to do that.” Pugh said. “We have study rooms you can reserve that are semi-private, but they’re not really ideal for the acoustics standpoint.”
After the pandemic, there have been changes and new assignments given to students that have to do with creating projects at home. Not only that, but the university is slowly showing newer technological techniques for teaching and homework assignments. This new space gives students a chance to create what they want.
Whether that is to create audio projects or social media content as well. It’s giving students a canvas to learn how to become learners with different skills, as the recording booth does not require any experience before booking.
As it is changing the learning process for students at Rowan, it is also changing the use of the library as well. Nancy Demaris, the interim director for User Services and Collections, believes that this is a shift in education.
“I just think for the podcasts or the different kinds of assignments, we’ve evolved even more so, from the pandemic..” Demaris said. “You know, where professors had to get creative with what assignments they were doing. I think students just really enjoyed those assignments.”
For students with these types of assignments, it is essential for this because dorms can get loud, and lots of other places on campus are not ideal for quiet, sound-proof spaces where students can audio record.
As of right now, there is only one recording booth available. The library staff is looking at this as a wait-and-see type of project, where the popularity of the studio is examined before expanding it.
For those who book a time in the recording booth, they are only allowed in two-hour increments, four hours maximum, and the student must be present the entire two hours. Group projects can only be done if each member books at different times, as only one person is allowed in the booth. The recording booth is also only for video and audio recording, it is not necessarily a space to edit and mix content, however, recorded files can be downloaded to one’s device.
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