Add Some Ink

Long lines at the library printer were once a familiar sight at Jefferson Academy. This year, a new printing setup promised students a faster and more reliable printing system. However, not everyone is on board.

Over the summer, Mrs. Davis, JA’s Digital Teacher, Librarian and Tech Coordinator, updated the school library’s printing system. This decision was influenced by a need for efficiency and security.

“I saw that this system worked well with other schools, and it might work well here, too,” Mrs. Davis explained. “With the old system, [printing] took longer, so long lines would form. Sometimes, kids would forget to log off, causing issues with student accounts.”

Now, instead of manually logging into student accounts at the library printer, students can remotely prepare their pages and print them once they’re ready. 

“The new printing system has made [printing] faster,” junior Lily Glassman noted. “You don’t have to wait for other people to be done in order to pull up what you need to print.”

When JA students use the library printer, they expect it to be dependable, quick, and easy to use. 

“When I use a printer, I prioritize its reliability and speed,” junior Yangchen Gray said. “The new printer system is pretty reliable and doesn’t take too long.”

Many students have expressed that their printing experience has been positively impacted by the new changes. 

“With the new setup, you can print things yourself, and it’s much easier,” freshman Ava Arnold explained. “All you have to do is get things ready and type in your student ID.”

Although some students have positive experiences, other students expressed that they avoid using the library printer because it tends to be difficult and confusing.

“At the beginning, the setup was a challenge and really annoying,” junior River Meineke commented. “I didn’t want to take time out of my day. But now that I have it set up, I don’t really have an issue.”

Some students have observed that the setup and printing processes tend to get lengthier with every problem that arises.

“Sometimes, the internet isn’t working and the printer will be slow or fail to connect to your computer, preventing you from printing anything,” junior Kenya Larsen shared. “Some people use their friends’ computers to print things, but that might not always be convenient.”

While these problems may arise, Mrs. Davis has intentions of working with students to resolve these issues and make them more comfortable with the new system. 

“Anytime there’s change, people have problems with it because they’re more familiar with what they’ve used before,” Mrs. Davis stated. “We’ll get there by helping them get used to it.”