Datatel

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Datatel will be down tomorrow April 9, 2013 from 7-8:30am. Only Webadvisor and Colleague will be down though. Angel and champlain.edu will still be available! We apologize for any inconvenience!

Spring Break Rentals

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There’s only one more day until Spring Break, but there’s still some time to reserve equipment from our rental house for use over the break if you would like. Here’s How :

  • Log in to Media Services’ online reservation tool and reserve the equipment you’d like to rent and set the pick up date for the last business day prior to the break. For 2013 Spring break that would be Friday, March 1st.
  • For the return time, set it to one hour before Media Services closes on the last business day prior to spring break. Using the upcoming 2013 break as an example again, you’d want to set it to 5:00PM on Friday, March 1st because we close at 6:00PM.
  • Build the reservation as you normally would, adding all the equipment you’ll need.
  • Next you’ll want to find the section called “Allocation Notes” and type a note to request permission to rent the equipment over break. You can then confirm your reservation.
  • We take it from there. Media Services will make the necessary overrides to get the request ready.
  • The rental is due back at noon the Monday (March 12) after the break.
For any questions or concerns regarding equipment rental procedures, be sure to check our rental policies!
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Happy Spring Break!

Backing Up Files—a Simple How-To

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There is nothing more heart-wrenching than working all weekend on a ten-page research paper for a class that is extremely difficult, only to have your computer crash and your file disappear. In one way or another, it’s happened to most of us—we spill a cup of water and it seeps into the hard drive, or maybe our computer just won’t turn on and the paper is due in thirty minutes. To alleviate all panic, the best way to avoid these instances is to back up files in multiple places—the obvious, and the not-so obvious, are listed below:

USB Flash Drive:

falshdrive                                         Photo Credit: Teagan Bokanovich

We’re all familiar with these–
also called thumb drives, they are small data storage devices that connect to computers via a standard USB connection. This is one of the most convenient types of take-away storage—they are rewriteable, lightweight, and range widely in price depending on how much storage the user needs. These are available in the Champlain College bookstore for the needs of all students.

Portable/External Hard Drive:

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There are many instances in which a computer-user needs more space than what a flash drive can handle. If you’re looking for a way to backup a few terabytes worth of material, or if you’re looking for a slightly larger storage system that you can keep for years and slowly add more content on to, then the portable hard drive may be the storage device that you’re looking for. Many hard drive manufacturers have platform-specific models—the different file systems of Macs and PCs may not be compatible with different hard drives, so be wary of this. Portable hard drives also come in a variety of prices—for as low as $50 or as much as $200, you can get the amount of space you are looking for without breaking the bank.

Renting Storage Space in a Cloud:

Cloud storage, or online storage where data is saved to a network that is hosted by a third-party, is another effective way to save documents. The hosting companies have large data centers where users can buy or lease storage capacity, or in some cases, the storage capacity is free if the user is taking up a limited amount of space. Cloud storage is a convenient way to access files—there is no physical hardware to bring along with you. As long as you have internet access, you can access your cloud storage.

Dropbox is one of the most popular forms of online storage for students. It’s a file hosting service where you can store your files, share your files via social networking websites, and access your files through a mobile app as well as the website.

dropbox                                            Photo Credit: Teagan Bokanovich

Every new account on Dropbox, including desktop and mobile apps, are free to the user. The user starts with 2 GB worth of space, and by referring your friends, you can earn even more free space. If you run out of space, you can upgrade your account with a monthly or yearly subscription.

Email and Blogging Services:

One final, and very simple, way to back up your documents is with email or blogging services. Finished with a paper? Email it to yourself, and place that email in a personalized folder. This is great for short-term storage and file transfer, as you can access these files quickly and easily from any available internet connection.email                                           Photo Credit: Teagan Bokanovich

Other websites, like Blogger or WordPress, are great for storing creative writing pieces, such as poetry or short works of fiction. This not only gives the writer an organized place to put his or her writing, but it also can give them some potential exposure to professionals in their major. That’s pretty cool!

wordpress                                                          Google Images 

Renting Equipment Over Spring Break

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The relaxation of spring break is near. From whenever you’ve finished everything up on Friday, March 2nd to when classes pick back up on Monday, March 12th, there is ample opportunity to work on the projects you want. If you need loaning pool equipment for these projects, please read our policies for renting over break.

Like Thanksgiving Break, you can rent equipment from the Media Services’ loaning pool over Spring Break–and it’s just as easy. Here’s the process:

  • Log in to Media Services’ online reservation tool and reserve the equipment you’d like to rent and set the pick up date for the last business day prior to the break. For Spring break that would be Friday, March 2nd.
  • For the return time, set it to an hour before Media Services closes on the same day as your pick up. Using the upcoming break as an example again, you’d want to set it to 5:00PM on Friday, March 2nd because we close at 6:00PM.
  • Build the reservation as you normally would, adding all the equipment you’ll need.
  • Next you’ll want to find the section called “Allocation Notes” and type a note to request permission to rent the equipment over break. You can then confirm your reservation.
  • We take it from there. Media Services will make the necessary overrides to get the request ready.
  • The rental is due back at noon the Monday (March 12) after the break.
For any questions or concerns regarding equipment rental procedures, be sure to check our rental policies!

Datatel down

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Datatel will be down for maintenance on Tuesday February 26th from 7:00am to 8:30am. Only Webadvisor and Colleague will be down. Angel and my.champlain will still be available. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Have a wonderful day!