HISTORY OF MEDIA SERVICES

The Media Services Department of High Point University had humble beginnings in the lower level of Roberts Hall. Part of the education Department, the Audiovisual Services Department primarily housed 16 mm films and a few beta cassettes of educational programs, along with the necessary equipment to display them. Staff from the Education Department and Wrenn Library shuttled equipment and materials back and forth.

In 1984, when construction was completed on the new Smith Library, Audiovisual Services was relocated to the Lower Level of the new building.

That same year, the Modern Foreign Language Listening Lab was moved from the top floor of Roberts Hall to join the new facilities of Smith Library.

Throughout the 1980s, the 16 mm and beta collection grew to include many more VHS format materials, as well as audio CDs and CD-ROMs. In the Fall of 1998, students were allowed to borrow recreational materials from the Library for the first time.

Today, the Media Services Department has gone from renting most of its materials to owning more than 2,500 videos, CDs, CD-ROMs, laser discs, and DVDs. The facilities include 2 Lecture Rooms equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia computers and data projectors, with satellite downlink capabilities and large screen televisions. A multimedia computer mini-lab allows both students and faculty to create materials for instruction as well as presentation, including digital cameras, scanning facilities, color printing, photo printing, transparency production, CD-ROM creation--a complete digital photolab used to create, edit, present, and archive digital images. Members of the High Point University community can enjoy access to this multimedia facility to practice the CD-ROM course materials that accompany their texts for art, history, biology, computing, and more.

More than audiovisual, the Media Services Department continues to grow as the needs of the University change. The question remains: where will we go next?....