By: Joseph Zuniga
As students finish settling into the semester, some can’t help but notice that, although the Rebecca Crown Library has some exciting new additions, one change stands out: the removal of several heavily used computers.
Over summer break, a remodeling of the third floor of the library took place. As a result, the third-floor computers had to be removed temporarily. The second-floor computers remain unchanged. But most of the first-floor computers have also been taken away, leaving just two desktop computers available by the back wall. On the basement floor below the library, there is just one computer by the printer next to the recording studio.
Associate Provost Kathleen Odell, who oversees the library, has stated that the computers on the third floor will return. However, there is some indecision about returning the computers on the first floor and lower/basement floor. Odell confirms plans to set up a computer on the first floor next to the printer for students to use for printing.
Odell states that the reason for the removal of the computers on the first and lower floors was primarily due to an event that took place prior to the beginning of the school year. She emphasizes that the decision came from a collection of issues such as spacing for the event and a potential technology upgrade.
Additionally, Odell says that the library and IT team is planning meet with the Student Government Association (SGA) to see what student wants and needs are.
“Our next steps are to meet with the SGA…just get some input from them…what are the needs of students? How many students are really using a traditional computer [desktop]? Would it be better if we had laptop docking stations so people could plug in their laptops?”
Odell shared a data table that depicted usage data from the 2025-26 Academic year that shows that the library’s computers were actively used by many students. First-floor computers had hourly floor counts of 1,887, 327 unique logins, and 3,261 hours of use. Lower-level computers had hourly floor counts of 1,737, 212 unique logins, and 4,729 hours of use.
Some students voiced concern for the removal of the first-floor computers.
Senior Lizbeth Lopez gave her opinion on what the best outcome is.
“They should definitely replace [the computers] with better computers. I think it would be the best solution for everyone involved…Honestly, I don’t really see a use for laptop carts…Chargers already exist. And I wouldn’t trust putting laptops there and leaving it charged…I just feel like there would be theft.”
Lopez also wishes that there was better transparency with the situation.
“There should be more transparency in the first place because I don’t know what they are going to do with the computers… if they get rid of the computers, they could be donated. So, what is going on with these computers?”
Senior Trinity Dallas shared the same concern for transparency with the computers and the construction taking place over summer break.
“They need to be more transparent about why they’re gone… I don’t even know what’s going on on the third floor…We shouldn’t be questioning what they’re doing with spaces that we’re using [for] technology that are supposed to be resources to us or where tuition money is going.”
Odell wants students to voice their concerns and opinions to the librarians and send emails about what they would like to see in the future that would be most convenient for their education.
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