Borough President James P. Molinaro and College of Staten Island President Marlene Springer today officially unveiled CSI’s new Digital Library Learning Lab, the only Information Literacy Center of its kind in the CUNY system.

Molinaro, who allocated $137,000 in capital funding to CSI for the purchase of the state-of-the-art computer laboratory, said, “I am happy to help provide our students with 21st Century resources by equipping them with up-to-the minute computer technology. The Digital Library Learning Lab will help students learn how to properly and responsibly use CSI’s wealth of electronic research subscriptions, where students can look up legal rulings, or access any newspaper or journal on-line. CSI has a proud record of providing its students with the best academic opportunities possible, and the Digital Library Learning Lab will only expand their understanding of the world and broaden their horizons.”

President Springer said, “The Digital Library Learning Lab is the only facility of its kind within CUNY that is fully equipped to support Information Literacy instruction. In this lab, students will learn how to access the college’s comprehensive collection of database subscriptions from the library’s newly designed website and how to critically analyze the plethora of research information available. We appreciate Borough President Molinaro’s continued support for the College of Staten Island as we continue to enhance our students’ education with the latest pedagogical technology advancements.”

With the Borough President’s funding, CSI has renovated and redesigned its Library’s former 1,500-square-foot microform reading room. In contrast to the old facility that was created in 1995, the new digital lab:

• Doubles the seating capacity
• Doubles the number of computers, which have full multimedia capability to display any format and create media-rich documents. Students can insert video, audio, still images and text into their documents, which can then be transferred to any type of storage device: CD-ROM, DVD, Thumb Drive, or Network Storage Space
• Provides instructors with ample space to move through the aisles, as well as a dedicated station for disabled students
• Enhances the learning experience with two electronic SmartBoards, which allow the instructor to highlight, emphasize, and annotate any type of digital content, including websites, subscription database articles, interactive videos and text
• Provides connectivity from all workstations to the campus network

Contacts:
Pat Wilks (Borough Hall): 718-816-2049
Ken Bach (CSI): 718-982-2328