The MPC Lab is a 483 sq foot facility, located in the lower level of the Library. It is outfitted with the latest hardware and software to support your digital media projects, whether for a class assignment or a personal assignment. The lab is open 7 days a week when school is in session, and 5 days during breaks. Note, the lab does close during holidays and school closures.
Student Multimedia Consultants are available to assist you with your project.
Level 1 consultants are all trained in general multimedia knowledge, and can answer 90% of the questions that come through the lab.
Additionally, some consultants have advanced to a Level 2 position, with additional knowledge in at least one area of multimedia. These consultants are relative experts in their area of concentration, and you may be referred to one if the consultant you speak with is less experienced in the area of your inquiry.
Level 3 consultants, known as freelance consultants, can be hired by faculty and staff to fully produce a project at a nominal rate of $10/hour ($25 for after hours projects) plus material expenses such as DV tapes or DVDs. If you are interested in having a student consultant produce a multimedia project for you, contact the MPC Manager at bpalmer2@washcoll.edu.
In addition to the resource provided by student consultants, Brian Palmer, the Manager of the Multimedia Production Center, is available to further assist with your multimedia questions and productions.
Users can request to meet with Brian to discuss their projects. His experience and insight will help you better understand your options, and assist you in the planning and execution of your production.
You can reach Brian at 410-778-7864 or via email at bpalmer2@washcoll.edu. Note: Depending on the level of involvement, this service may be billable, and will be discussed in the early phases of your project.
We are outfitted primarily with 3 Mac Pro and 2 IBM workstations. Additionally, we have MacBook Pro notebooks available.
Specialized hardware includes:
Our Loaner Pool includes
The loaner pool equipment is free for current students, faculty and staff to borrow. The default loan period is 2 days. If you are working on a project that requires more than 2 days use, you can either return within the 2 day period with the equipment and renew them for 2 more days, or ask in advance for an extended loan at the time of checkout.
If you keep equipment out beyond the intended loan duration, you will incur fines. The fines are clearly listed in the MPC Lab, as well as on the agreement sheet you must read and sign to take the equipment.
Equipment that is 4 or more days overdue is considered stolen, and you will be billed for the full replacement cost, plus a free for entering the new equipment into our inventory system.
If you unclear on loan periods, fees, or procedure, ask at the time you are checking the equipment out.
If you want to know what items you currently have checked out of the MPC or the Library in general, use this online form.
Our Mac Pro workstations all include:
Our IBM Workstations include:
Available for in-lab use, we have DVD tutorials for most all the applications we support. These DVDs can be played on a notebook beside one of the workstations, allowing you to work along with the tutorial. These DVDs are not to be removed from the lab.