Implementation of a Print Release System at Musselman, Shadek-Fackentha

and Waidner-Spahr Libraries to Reduce Excessive Paper and Ink Waste

Celia Hartz - INFO 520

12/1/2014

Executive Summary

Gettysburg, Dickinson and Franklin and Marshall College are small liberal arts

colleges scattered about south central Pennsylvania with strong academics and libraries

that support their programs. These colleges are members of the Associated College

Libraries of Central Pennsylvania (ACLCP) and often work with each other or are inspired

by the initiatives of the others. Their libraries are spaces for researching; studying,

socializing but they are also where massive amounts of printing happen. Not only is

excessive printing not eco-friendly but it is also fiscally draining on the limited budget that

libraries already are dealing with. The solution: a print management system for these three

colleges would reduce toner and paper waste and it would increase patron privacy while

also reducing wait time for jobs. This initiative can be spread through all three campuses

and in all print labs as there is no need to purchase new printers. There is also a lot to gain

by using a print release system because it will make campuses greener and will allow for

the money saved to be used on other projects. These libraries are requesting the initial

funding of this project which is just under $8,130.

Who Are We?

Library Staff: These three colleges are lucky to have such large library staffs;

Dickinson has 27, Franklin and Marshall has 36 and Gettysburg has 38 full time employees

– that is 101 people who are dedicated to the information profession. There a several

departments in these libraries such as a special collections or college archives where rare

and unique items are cataloged, stored and studied. All three have reference and liaison

librarians who help students with a variety of projects. There are also a plethora of

technical services librarians who specialize in cataloging and a variety of other metadata

related work. Lastly, all three boast impressive interlibrary loan departments with at least

three full time employees who ensure that patrons are able to get materials even if there

library does not own a particular item.

Patrons: There are a variety users at all of these libraries but the largest group of

users is clearly the student body. While these are small colleges there are still nearly 7,400

students between the three. They are the primary audience when any of these institutions

look at their services and facilities. This does not mean they are the only concern however,

each college also have a professorial body that are constantly doing research work and

publishing new articles and books related to their varied fields. The collection at these

colleges is often directed toward their needs because there has to be material related to the

courses they are teaching and the research they are doing.

There are still several smaller groups that use the library at these institutions such

as the alumni, the Friends (or donators), community borrowers and guests. They are not

forgotten in the services provided. The pleasure reading collections, while small, are

usually geared towards adults fiction and non-fiction because this is usually what these

different groups are interested in reading. They are also able to access the internet from

the public computers and they are able to access databases and eBooks while on the

campus.

Goals: These three libraries are members of the Associated College Libraries of

Central Pennsylvania (ACLCP) and while they have their own mission statement or goals

they all follow the below system,

The mission of the Associated College Libraries of

Central Pennsylvania, a consortium of academic and research

libraries united by a rich heritage of and strong commitment to

sharing, is to enhance each member's ability to serve its

primary clientele (ACLCP, Mission Statement, para. 1, 2014).

To carry out this objective Gettysburg, Dickinson and Franklin and Marshall they

make it their duty to share information through the expertise of individuals who have

standard qualities such as leadership and innovative thinking. All of the employees at these

institutions have agreed to continuously enhance their own knowledge by embracing new

technologies in the ever-evolving world of libraries (ACLCP, Mission Statement, para. 2,

2014). All of this reflects the goals of these three colleges’ librarians and staff which is why

they are such appropriate recipients of a grant like this, which will help them truly realize

their mission.

Statement of Need

Library patrons produce a massive amount of waste but this does not need to be the

case. Print release systems are popping up around the country and have had tremendous

effects. This gives us great hope that it would be just as effective on a small scale at these

libraries. In some evaluations of the effectiveness of a print management system there is

up to 66% waste reduction in three years (Dempsey, 2012, 416). In large research

institutions libraries were able to save over 120,000 sheets of paper just by making duplex

printing the default; imagine how much could be saved with a print reduction system as

well (Cunningham, 2012, 18). There are many more examples of the success of

implementing some of these systems at colleges but the point is that it is extremely likely

that bringing on of these to campus will only yield positive results.

The use of a print management system has other benefits as well; there is increased

privacy to the user. The ALA states that, “The rights of privacy are necessary for

intellectual freedom and are fundamental to the ethics and practice of librarianship” (ALA

Privacy, 2014). When printers become burdened with a significant queue of jobs it begins

to lag which leads to multiple copies being printed because it is not arriving quickly

enough; there is also the issue that it is difficult to grab a job when the printer does not stop

because there are so many items to print. This leads to an issue of privacy because patrons

are forced to flip through a small stack of paper with information that does not belong to

them (Enis, 2012, 40). A print release system would prevent this from happening because

the job releases while the patron is standing in close proximity to it and they can retrieve it

immediately.

Another aspect to consider is simply how much staff time is dedicated to tending to

the printers themselves. In one study of a print release system the lifespan of toner was

noticeably longer; they went from lasting about nine days to lasting about two weeks. This

also effects how well the printer runs because if a toner cartridge gets an unreasonable

amount of use, it cannot perform efficiently. However, reducing the number of jobs, by

simply avoiding duplicate prints, means that the toner output increases and the whole

printing process is smoother (Dempsey, 2012, 415). Also, there would be less need to

change out toner waste and paper would have to be replaced less often. Additionally, there

would be less user-caused jamming from patrons trying to grab their job while the printer

is still running. The need to give attention to the printers would lessen allowing librarians

and staff to focus on their job.

A print release system would be the most effective way to diminish most of the

issues associated with wasteful printing. This has the potential to effect the entirety of

these campuses, especially if this becomes a joint initiative with other groups on the

campus. It is important to note that, while there is a community patron audience in each

library, they will not be prevented from using the printer because most systems have

modifications that allow for users to pay for their printing. This vending adjustment is

beneficial for the institution as it is an easy way to collect and keep track of printing by

non-college community members (Enis, 2014, 49). Overall, the students will easily be the

most effected by the new print release system but staff, faculty and administration and well

as the community members could also be a part of this new printing arrangement.

Proposed Service

These three libraries, along with campus sustainability groups and IT departments,

propose to implement a print management system to reduce the paper and ink waste

which will make the libraries greener, save money and make the printing process more

efficient. This project will begin in the libraries, which is where a majority of campus

printing occurs and then will spread to the smaller print labs throughout campus. Many of

these programs were designed with educational institutions in mind; the print

management system that will be used in this service initiative is called Papercut and has

been in this business for over ten years. This program allows for several methods of

customization so that each college can tailor the settings to their liking and needs (Papercut

for Education, 2014).

There is very little needed for this program to get started. The license needs to be

bought but a company like Papercut has competitive pricing because there is not a lot of

overhead to pay for marketing or reseller margins. In fact it likely that these colleges will

see a return on this investment in as little as one semester depending on the severity of the

wasteful printing (Papercut for Education, 2014). While no new printers are necessary to

start this project new print release computer stations will be necessary, at least two per

institution. All three of the colleges already have ‘Quick Print’ stations that can be modified

to include this release software but at least two will be needed to reduce wait time of

students, staff and faculty. There are licenses that will need to be purchased such as the

Advanced Client license which allows for administrative searching in Papercut and the

actual user interface of the Print Release Station that is needed per designated computer.

Lastly, there is the Save Paper Environmental Impact Widget that can be bought for each

user for ten cents. This widget shows the volume of items printed and also tell the user the

amount of carbon their job used as well as how many trees they have cut down to date.

Along with this the widget shows a monthly estimate of what it costs to print and the

amount of energy their jobs takes to complete (Save Paper Widget, 2014).

The best time to implement this project would be over a break before the semester

so that library staff has a chance to get familiar with it. Winter break would be the most

ideal because the learning process will still be fresh in their minds while showing students

and others how to use the system. Winter breaks are also ideal because while there may be

a lot of small building projects the numbers in reference and circulation are slower. This is

ideal because often it is these two groups in a library that handle the everyday questions

about how to use library technology. Also, during the winter break at these colleges a large

number of international students remain on campus as well as residential life staff and

other groups; this is helpful because then the staff will be able to see any of the potential

issues from a student perspective before there are thousands of them present.

There should be only a small amount of staff time dedicated to learning this

program and that would come primarily from the systems librarians at each college. The

simplest way for the rest of the staff to learn how to use the system would be for these

librarians to learn the details of how it works and any potential issues and then hold a brief

session with the entirety of the library staff. It would also be helpful if they created a quick

guide to using the program that could be placed near the stations. Lastly, there should be

some type of marketing in place for this project so that library patrons are aware that

printing at the library has changed. This does not need to be anything major and can be

handled in house as there are Marketing Committees at these institutions.

Rough Timeline

Last Weeks of the Fall Semester – Acquire the new computers and

establish a space for these new Print Release Stations

First Week of Winter Break – Purchase all of the print management

system requirements and set up the new computers.

Second Week of Winter Break – Systems Librarian will teach a

session on the basics of using the print management system to the

library staff as a whole, and potentially a more in-depth session for

those who will be answering questions most often about the new

system such as reference or circulation staff.

Mid-Break – Marketing Committees come up with ideas to promote

the Print Release Stations through signage as well as digest posts and

other methods.

Remainder of Winter Break – Staff gets comfortable using the

program as users but also by assisting the small number of students

on campus over the break

If all of this goes according to plan the system could be up and running within a

month and getting full-scale use in the spring semester.

How to know if the program is working though? Papercut suggests that most

educational institutions see a full return on investment in as little as a few months. The

easiest way to track the success of this new program is to simply compare spending in the

year to year budgets. An average week at one of these colleges roughly 9 boxes of paper

are ordered weekly and each comes with 8 reams of paper. Another thing to check in the

budget is how much toner has been bought prior to the print management system

compared to after. Lastly, Gettysburg College collects forgotten or duplicate print jobs and

recycles them into notepads for the college community and the frequency of this can be

tracked and would be an easy way to identify whether or not there are less jobs being left

behind.

However, it is not just about the budget and money saved but also what the users

think. None of these institutions charge students, staff of faculty to print and community

members only pay a small fee. Perhaps mid-semester a short survey on patron satisfaction

could be done. This would include questions about whether or not they like the system,

wait time for the print release stations, if the environmental widget makes them think

about their printing and if they feel this is saving paper and time.

Budget *See Appendix A for a more detailed description of the budget items*

Licenses

Individual User Licenses (x 7,500) $ 2,465.00

Advanced Client License (x 4) $ 40.00

Print Release Station License (x 11) $ 2,035.00

Installation of Print Management Software

Implementation Pack $ 250.00

Physical Delivery $ 39.00

Other

Save Paper Environmental Impact Widget $ 1,500.00

Dell Desktop Computer (x 6) $ 1799.94

TOTAL $ 8128.94

Conclusion

This project is not unique and has been successfully implemented at various

institutions but a project like this does have the potential to cut down on the wasteful

printing practices at these three colleges. If this project works out well in the library it is

possible that it can spread to other labs throughout the campuses which will result in more

environmentally friendly colleges. The money saved will allow for other projects to

flourish and can help create better collections or study spaces or services that will enhance

the overall value of Gettysburg, Dickinson and Franklin and Marshall College.

Appendix A

In-Depth Budget Description

Item Description Cost

Licensing Cost for

7500 Users

This covers all potential users between students,

staff and faculty at the colleges.

$2,465.00

Advanced Client

License

This is an administrative account that allows the

user to search all accounts. Two are included in

the initial fee but all institutions should have at

least two of these accounts.

$10.00 per license

$40.00 TOTAL

Print Release

Station License

This is the user interface that would need to be

installed on the computers that directly releases the

print jobs by entering identifying information. One

is included in the initial fee but each institution

should have four of these stations.

$185.00 per license

$2035.00 TOTAL

Implementation

Pack

This covers a year’s worth of upgrades, developer

support and a guarantee that the yearly

$250.00

subscription is only 20% of the original licensing

price.

Physical Delivery This is a physical delivery of a USB drive with the

latest upgrade, full documentation and a copy of

the license.

$39.00

Save Paper

Environmental

Impact Widget

This widget allows each user to see their volume

of printing per month as well as how many trees

have been cut down, the amount of carbon and

energy used as well as a monthly estimate of their

printing costs.

$1,500.00

TOTAL $8128.94

References

ACLCP: Mission Statement. (2014). http://www2.aclcp.org/?Mission

Cunningham, H., (2012). Partnering for paper reduction. Feliciter, 58(1), 18-18. Retrieved

fromhttp://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdf

viewer?sid=821107e5-3ef8-46e5-99aa

59252d1afade%40sessionmgr4004&vid=3&hid=4201

Dempsey, M. E., & Palilonis, A. (2012). Reuse, recycle ... reduce: A greener library with print

management. Library Hi Tech, 30(3), 408-417. Retrieved from

http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1108

/07378831211266555

Enis, M. (2014). Reservation management. Library Journal, 139(17), 49-49. Retrieved from

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=7

&sid=821107e5-3ef8-46e5-99aa-

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%3d%3d#db=llf&AN=98718239

Enis, M., (2012). Print control. Library Journal, 137(12), 38-40. Retrieved from

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfview

er?vid=10&sid=821107e5-3ef8-46e5-99aa-

59252d1afade%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4201

Papercut for Education – Print control software for schools, colleges and Universities.

(2014). http://www.papercut.com/solutions/printer-control-for-education/

Privacy – An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. (2014).

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/privacy

Save Paper Desktop Widget – Save Paper the Fun Way! (2014)

http://www.papercut.com/products/save-paper-widget/