Free printing is an attractive benefit for Ames Library patrons but please consider some environmentally friendly steps you can take to help reduce paper usage on campus AND in the library: http://www.iwu.edu/library/support/print_smart.shtml
Conscious printing is one way we can all help lessen our impact on the environment. Library staff have also taken the following steps to decrease The Ames Library’s environmental footprint:
- Printing & Mailing Services Office replaced our old Xerox machines with 7 Canon/Xerox multifuctional devices which offer a scan-to-email function in addition to printing traditional photocopies. All staff know how to use these features and are willing to train anyone interested in them! The power saving mode is also activated on these machines and they have been set to print and copy at their lowest ink-use settings.
- All printers in The Ames Library default to double-sided mode with the toner at the lowest possible setting. We purchase recycled paper made of 30% post-consumer fiber from the campus Printing & Mailing Services Office and our building custodians from Physical Plant recycle all paper that makes it into the appropriate containers.
- Public computer monitors go to power saving mode after 15 minutes of inactivity.
- All public Laser printers in the building also utilize power management features, and a power saving mode is enabled after 30 minutes of inactivity.
- Excess black is cropped out when scanning documents for electronic reserves. Extra black requires unnecessary amounts of toner/ink if electronic reserves resources are printed out. See http://www.iwu.edu/library/support/print_smart.shtml for other ways to Print Smart!
- The Instruction Lab, Project Rooms, and half of the computers at Scholarly Workstations and in the Information Commons are shut down for the summer and during Winter break in order to reduce energy consumption; when the building is closed for extended breaks and 3-day weekends, all public computers and printers are shut down and staff are reminded to turn their office systems off.
