Situated on the Main Quad, the Undergraduate Library – known as the UGL – is a trove of nonsensical works of literature, students internalizing stress and the occasional therapy dog. It is a zoo with no plexiglass — where students are all animals carving out pockets of space to study; marking one’s territory by spreading out book bags across multiple chairs.

It boasts a massive array of Indian comic books, bagel crumbs from Espresso Royale and an eerie silence unique to the bottom echelons of the UGL.

Despite an unsolicited guest appearance from a fugitive, the library is more than just late-night housing for students during finals week: It is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of rentable digital equipment.

This may not seem like a substantial and immediate value. However, as a student in the College of Media, its value is undeniable.

Having access to equipment that is otherwise too expensive to obtain individually creates opportunities for students to increase production value of their assignments and pursue personal projects through digital mediums.

As more teachers put emphasis on working in groups and presenting, it is guaranteed that you will be carrying the team quite often.

In these unfortunate and relatively frequent scenarios, you can count on the library as a second home and helper.

With DSLR cameras (and their corresponding interchangeable lenses), camcorders and audio kits, you can at least make it seem like it wasn’t done last minute. At the very least, you can ensure that your project won’t be a case study on the limitations of an iPhone camera.

However, as with anything, procrastination stymies progress and shipwrecks dreams.

When finals week comes lurching about, you can bet that all the equipment will be checked out, conference tables reserved, and audio and video recording rooms in use.

The key to making use of this resource is dependent on your own proactivity.

Making timely reservations, checking for equipment availability, and understanding Murphy’s Law is integral to effectively utilizing the library to spruce up your projects and impress your teachers who want nothing more than to see you blossom and succeed.

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