Killam launches LC at a glance

David Mifflen at the Killam Library.

If you’ve been using any of the three Learning Commons at the Killam Library recently you may have noticed large screens placed at the entrances. What’s on them?

A color-coded map showing which workstations are available or in use at the South, North and Upper Commons. The display, called “LC @ a Glance,” updates every time someone logs on or off a computer, so all it takes is a quick scan of the screen to see what’s available and where. Printer status is also displayed and updated as necessary. Even better, LC @ a Glance is posted online so you can check to see how many computers are free before you even leave home. Works on your Blackberry too

The creative genius behind this great new service is David Mifflen, Dalhousie Libraries Systems Administrator and technology entrepreneur. David created the software for LC @ a Glance and generously donated it to the Libraries.

The software, called PC Idle, is completely customizable and could be adapted for such things as usage statistics, reserving computers for special occasions, taking computers out of service, alerting managers to problems with individual computers, etc. (Imagine Dal using this to show where parking is available on campus!)

Students have been all over LC @ a Glance ever since the large screens were installed. Come to the Killam Learning Commons and check out it out for yourself, or view it from home on our website at:  pcidle.library.dal.ca/ (South LC), pcidle.library.dal.ca/pcidle/nlc.html (North LC), and  pcidle.library.dal.ca/pcidle/ulc.html (Upper LC).

We think it’s pretty cool and we hope you will too.