The tech-related resources available at the Edmon Low Library are seemingly endless. Everything from virtual reality studios to flight simulators to 3D printing is offered by the Edmon Low Creative Studios. All of these great technologies, as well as many others, were showcased at Insert Tech Here. Insert Tech Here was an open-house style library event where students, faculty and staff could learn more about all of the technological resources the Edmon Low Creative Studios has to offer.
As the Event Communications Intern, I had the opportunity to host the livestream portion of this event. I kept the livestream audience up-to-date on what was happening at the event and interviewed a handful of the event presenters to get more information about the studio where they were stationed. The presenters shared information on how students can obtain access to the various studios, what they can use them for and interesting projects they had seen completed using that specific technology.
Not having much livestream experience beforehand, I was incredibly nervous for this event. I spent the few weeks leading up to the event preparing by drafting a script and writing interview questions to ask the presenters. When the day of the event came, I was even more nervous, especially when the livestream began. The first step was to give the introduction. I welcomed the audience and gave a rundown of what all would happen during the event. After this, I felt a little more confident but was still anxious about how the rest of the event would go. The next step was the interviews. My first interview was with Shannon Garde, and we talked about the Tech To Go resource offered by the Edmon Low Creative Studios. After this interview I felt even more confident. This pattern continued through the rest of the event, so by the end of it I was more comfortable and confident than I could have thought. After the event was over, I realized that I never had anything to worry about.
The event was livestreamed through the Edmon Low Library Facebook page. This allowed the online audience to interact with and learn more about the studios, even if they were not able to attend the event. Viewers were also encouraged to leave comments on the livestream to have their questions answered by tech experts at the event. Several door prizes were also given away to attendees throughout the event.
At the event, the winners of the Library Creativity Award were announced. The winners spoke about their creative process and how they came to create their final product. Most of the LCA winners had utilized resources in the Creative Studios to create their winning project. I thought this was interesting because each winner created something so different from the others, so it was neat to actually be able to see what is possible when utilizing the Edmon Low Creative Studios. As a student, I found this incredibly relevant because I am always looking for ways to make my projects stand out and be the best that they can be.
During the process of preparing for the event and hosting the livestream, I was able to take away a lot of valuable lessons. There were times when I was stressed and wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it or I doubted my ability to do well. I learned to be confident in myself and that stepping out of my comfort zone can be incredibly rewarding. Looking back now, the biggest lesson I learned was no matter how much you prepare for something, sometimes things happen that you can’t prepare for and you have to be OK with going with the flow. Going into the event we had planned to do two interviews, but as the event went on we had some extra space to fill, so by the end of it I interviewed six people. This wasn’t what we had initially planned, but we went with it, and it ended up turning out well and added a lot to the event.
The purpose of Insert Tech Here was to showcase all of the technology the Edmon Low Creative Studios has to offer. The Creative Studios is home to Tech To Go, a resource that allows students to check out the latest technology free of charge, but there is also so much more. The 3D Printing Creative Studio, the Jim & Liz Wise Virtual Reality Creative Studios, the Virtual Simulation Creative Studio (which holds the new flight simulator!), the McCasland Foundation Data Visualization Studio, the Windows and Adobe Studios (which hold the Jim & Liz Wise Digital Music Upgrade software) and the Recording and Presentation Studio are all part of the Edmon Low Creative Studios.
These rooms are all available to students, faculty and staff and can be reserved on the Edmon Low Creative Studios website. The Edmon Low Creative Studios are located on the east side of the first floor of the Edmon Low Library.
Be sure to utilize these resources to take your projects to the next level!
Post by Teryn Moorman, Event Communications Intern.
