Policies and Procedures – The Old Library

In case of emergency dial x2222 from any campus phone or 845-257-2222 from any cell phone to reach University Police

Darkroom Rules & Safety Procedures

Computer Lab Rules & Safety Procedures

Lighting Studio Rules & Safety Procedures

Book Binding Room Safety Procedures & Lab Rules

Matting Room Safety Procedures & Lab Rules

OLB Building Access

Old Library building and labs are available to any student enrolled in a Photography or Graphic Design course.

Building and computer lab hours follow the academic calendar and are:
7 days – 7:30AM-2AM

The front door is unlocked from 7:30AM-5PM M-F. All other times are card access only.

Cage and darkroom hours are:
Monday-Thursday 8AM-9PM
Friday 8AM-6PM
Weekends 11PM-6PM

MFA’s have 24/7 access the MFA studios in SAB 215C

Lab Hours will be posted throughout the building for vacations and holiday periods prior to any break. Open labs during this time are dependent on student staffing and will vary.

In the case of inclement weather, the Cage and the Labs will follow the schedule of the College. Therefore, if classes are delayed or canceled the Cage and Labs will be delayed or closed.
top

OLB General Rules

Equipment in the OLB is very expensive and fragile. Please use care when handling everything you sign out from the cage. Remember that you are financially responsible for all equipment that you sign out so treat it as if it were your own. If you find something broken or not operating properly you should report it to the Technician or Lab Assistant immediately.

Photo equipment is precisely engineered so it is not necessary to use excessive force to tighten knobs on cameras, tripods, and enlargers. Doing so will often damage the equipment and strip threads. If you need assistance please consult with the Technician, Lab Assistant or Faculty.

Always return all your equipment to the equipment cage. This includes your film developing tanks and trays. Never leave any equipment unattended anywhere in the building.

Playing of music is not permitted in any shared lab space. If you would like to listen to music please use headphones.

Food and drink are not permitted in any lab space. Please use the tables provided outside the labs for any food or drink you may have.
top

The Equipment Cage

Students currently enrolled in Photography and/or Graphic Design courses have access to sign out equipment in the Cage. Students should only sign out equipment that they have been trained to use.

If you would like to sign out equipment from the cage, you need to bring your Student ID card.

All equipment is due back by noon on the due date. The loan period for equipment is as follows:

One Day Sign-Out: Location Lighting Kit
3-Day Sign-Outs: LED lights
7-Day Sign-Outs: Digital SLR Cameras (DSLR’s),Tripods
Extended Sign-Outs – View cameras, Tripods, Film SLR Cameras
In House Use Only (For use only in OLB): Darkroom Equipment, Film Processing Equipment, Studio equipment (hot lights, strobes, light meters, etc.), Studio Camera, Wacom Tablets, iPads, i1Photo photo spectrophotometer

If, for some reason, the door to the equipment cage is closed when you want to return your equipment please do not leave your signed-out items unattended on the steps of the cage. Remember, you are financially responsible for the equipment signed out until it is returned to the lab assistant.

Check your items during the sign-out process to make sure everything is there (memory card, batteries, Wacom pens, etc.). If you find something broken or not operating properly you should report it to the Technician or Lab Assistant immediately.
top

Darkroom Rules & Safety Procedures

• Know the location of SDS sheets (formerly MSDS sheets) in case of emergency.
• Use tongs and rubber gloves to avoid contact with chemistry. Never use your hands.
• Do not lean over trays or inhale fumes from open trays. Be sure to have proper ventilation.
• Do not eat or drink in the darkroom or film processing room.
• If your skin comes in contact with any chemistry rinse thoroughly. If you get chemistry in your eyes rinse immediately with running water or eyewash and seek medical attention. Remove chemical soaked clothing as soon as possible.
• Should you ingest any chemical, chemical safety data sheets (SDS) are kept in the lobby outside the darkroom. Refer to these and seek medical attention.
• Clean up all chemical or water spills immediately so others do not slip and fall
• In case of a major spill notify the Technician or Lab Assistant immediately.
• Never handle electrical fixtures such as timers with wet hands or feet.
• For emergency exit from the darkroom the rotating door pushes away easily.
• Always consult with a technician or read chemical safety data sheets located in the lobby outside the darkroom prior to handling any unfamiliar chemistry.
• Never mix unfamiliar chemicals without faculty or lab technician advice.
• Store chemicals only in labeled containers provided by the cage.
• Thoroughly wash and dry completely all tanks and trays before returning them to the cage. Returning a wet tank or tray is a health hazard, as the lab assistant doesn’t know what chemicals may be on them.
• All borrowed equipment must be returned 30 minutes BEFORE closing time. This will give sufficient time for students working in the labs to wash their prints and for the lab assistant to clean and close the labs. Please be considerate of the lab assistants’ time and plan to return the equipment promptly 30 minutes before closing time.
• In case of emergency dial x2222 from any campus phone or 845-257-2222 from any cell phone for University Police
• Clean up after yourself
top

Computer Lab Rules & Safety Procedures

• No food or drink is allowed in the computer labs at any time.
• To avoid eyestrain allow your eyes to refocus on another further location periodically.
• Take care to avoid repetitive motion disorder. Avoid prolonged periods at the computer. Get up and stretch every so often.
• If there is a paper jam seek help from faculty or a lab technician, do not open the laser printer yourself.
• If a printer runs out of ink or toner ask the IST Academic Computing, IST for Photo and Design, or Lab Assistant in the Cage for help. If the printer says it’s low then no action is needed, continue printing until the ink/toner is empty.
• Avoid contact with ink and toner cartridges as they will stain skin and clothes.
• Printers are available for Photography and Graphic Design coursework only. Coursework for other classes should be printed elsewhere using your print quota. Printing of flyers is strictly prohibited.
• Playing of music is not permitted in any shared lab space. If you would like to listen to music please use headphones.
• In case of emergency dial x2222 from any campus phone or 845-257-2222 from any cell phone for University Police
• Clean up after yourself
top

Lighting Studio Rules & Safety Procedures

• No food or drink is allowed in the studio at any time.
• Lighting equipment is very high voltage and must be handled carefully. If you smell smoke unplug equipment and seek help immediately
• Always unplug all equipment when leaving the studio.
• Never leave any equipment on unsupervised.
• Always grasp the plug when unplugging, never pull the cord.
• Be sure all equipment is off before unplugging or plugging in.
• Do not touch lights when they are on and allow time to cool to avoid burns.
• Keep all flammable materials (paper, fabric, etc.) away from the lights.
• When bulbs burn out inform the lab assistant or technician. Do not try to change light bulbs yourself.
• Take care to not trip over light stands or cords while walking around lights. Inform others of this too.
• Avoid any precarious balancing of lights and use sandbags when necessary.
• Note the location of the fire extinguisher.
• If unfamiliar with the use of any equipment seek assistance from faculty or technician before operating.
• In case of emergency dial x2222 from any campus phone or 845-257-2222 from any cell phone for University Police
• Clean up after yourself
top

Book Binding Room Safety Procedures & Lab Rules

• The board shear and stack cutters are potentially dangerous, only students who have been instructed in their use by faculty or a technician are authorized to use these machines. Operate with care, and with the protective guards in place.
• If unfamiliar or unclear about the use of any equipment seek assistance from faculty or technician before proceeding.
• Do not use the green table surface as a cutting surface, only use a cutting mat to cut on
• Clean up all PVA after use. This includes brushes, containers and work surfaces
• Wipe clean to rim of the PVA jar to ensure that it’s closed and won’t dry out
• Use butcher paper to work on to insure table surface stays clean
• Do not cut staples or wire binding (or anything other than paper) with board shear or stack cutter
• If unfamiliar with the use of any equipment seek assistance from faculty or technician before operating.
• Clean up all paper or bookboard and bookcloth scraps after trimming
• Do not use spray adhesive or any type of aerosol in the building
• If you use glue, paint, or mounting adhesive, use protective paper to keep the tables and cutting mats clean and promptly clean up any spills
• In case of emergency dial x2222 from any campus phone or 845-257-2222 from any cell phone for University Police
• Clean up after yourself
top

Matting Room Safety Procedures & Lab Rules

• Use only the mat cutter to cut mat and use appropriate care to not get your fingers in the way of the blade.
• Use appropriate care when changing blades. Blades are available in the cage and used blades should be placed in the marked container.
• Dry mount presses get very hot so avoid touching them.
• Use care when opening and closing the presses since the presses are very heavy and the handles have quite a bit of leverage, which can cause injury if they slip from your hands.
• Always unplug all equipment when leaving the matte room.
• Never leave presses that are on unattended. If they are found unattended they will be turned off immediately.
• If unfamiliar with the use of any equipment seek assistance from faculty or technician before operating.
• Do not use spray adhesive or any type of aerosol in the building
• If you use glue, paint, or mounting adhesive, use protective paper to keep the tables and cutting mats clean and promptly clean up any spills
• In case of emergency dial x2222 from any campus phone or 845-257-2222 from any cell phone for University Police
• Clean up after yourself
top

rev_2018_08