Multimedia Services
Computing and Information Services staff assigned to Multimedia Services are responsible for supporting media equipment and services for Furman University. These services include:
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Multimedia Services?
- Multimedia Services is located on the lower level of the Duke Library within the CIS Help Desk area.
Who can Request Services and Equipment From Multimedia Services?
- Multimedia equipment and services are available to Furman faculty and staff on a prearranged basis. Organized student groups may also use this equipment on a case-by-case basis with their faculty adviser making the equipment request and accepting responsibility for the equipment.
- Multimedia Services does not accept any equipment request from off-campus individuals or groups. If you are visiting the campus and need equipment, the request must come to us from faculty or staff of Furman. If you are having an event at Hartness Pavilion in the Dining Hall, Aramark/Dining Services will need to make the request to Multimedia Services on your behalf.
How do I Request Equipment?
- Return equipment on time. The only way we can loan portable equipment to you is if the person using the equipment before you returned it on time. Multimedia equipment may be reserved by contacting Multimedia Services at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the date and time needed. Because we are closed on weekends, we ask that any requests needed for a Monday be made no later than the Friday before.
- Requests can be made by sending an email to Multimedia Request or by calling the main number at ext. 2070 or alternate number ext. 3277 (Help Desk). You can also request equipment in person at least 24 hours in advance at the Help Desk on the lower level of the Duke library. We cannot guarantee equipment availability as it is reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
- If your event is scheduled outside our normal hours of operation, we may be able to setup the equipment in advance of your event and you will need to make arrangements to have access to the equipment if it is behind a locked door. If we cannot setup the equipment in advance due to the location being used by someone before you, you will need to make arrangements to pick-up equipment in advance and be prepared to setup the equipment.
What happens if equipment I borrow is lost, stolen or damaged?
- If any equipment borrowed is lost, stolen or damaged by yourself or anyone else between the time it leaves our possession and the time you return it to us - you will be held financially responsible for the repair or replacement of the equipment, determined by the vendor of our choice. Do not leave the equipment unattended outside the Help Desk door after hours - please make sure that you return the equipment on time to someone who works in the Help Desk/Multimedia Services Department.
Will someone help me use the equipment?
- While we can provide tutorials on how to use equipment, we are not staffed to attend entire events where you will be using the equipment. This type of assistance is not provided by Multimedia Services, and is considered "free-lance" work for students.
- At your request, we can seek a student staff member who may be willing to work for a fee the two of you agree upon. The nature of the work and payment will not be handled by Multimedia rather we will make your request known to students who may contact you directly to discuss the details. Availability of such help is not guaranteed.
What kinds of portable equipment are available?
- We have a variety of equipment for you to use depending on your needs and the location you intend to use the equipment. Portable equipment that you can pick up and take with you includes:
- Slide projectors,
- LCD projectors,
- Boomboxes,
- microphones,
- speakers,
- microphone stands,
- camcorders,
- vcrs,
- dvd players and
- screens (for use with projectors).
- General-purpose classrooms have stationary equipment that will accommodate most needs including: VCR, Cable TV, DVD, Microphones and Document Cameras which have replaced the overhead projector. These "teaching stations" or "smart carts" are capable of playing your PowerPoint presentation, projecting your laptop image or presenting from the Internet.
What Happens if Multimedia Services is Overbooked?
- When equipment or services are not available to meet all requests, first priority will be given to requests for instructional and research purposes.
Can I purchase supplies such as media from Multimedia Services?
- While we do not sell items such as cassette tapes, vhs tapes or dvds - we do stock these supplies and include them in the cost of your project. For example, if you request the duplication of a DVD, we will provide the blank DVD necessary to make the copy and we will charge for it.
Can Multimedia Copy Video Tapes, DVDs, Cassettes, or CDs?
- Faculty must have copyright permission for the source material to request a copy from Multimedia Services. We cannot copy copy-protected materials such as commercial DVDs.
- Price List for Materials Only
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VHS Tapes
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$3.00
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MINI-DV Tapes
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$5.00
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SONY 8MM Tapes
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$5.00
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DVD
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$1.00
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- Student wages will also be charged for video editing jobs of an hour or more.
How Do I Get a Movie Shown on the Furman Cable TV System?
- Furman Cable TV channels (14 and 15 are available for broadcasting VHS tapes or DVDs to the Furman campus. Faculty may request broadcasts by sending an email request to Multimedia Request, or via the Help Desk.
- We can only show movies upon faculty request, if the faculty member can satisfy one of these three requirements:
- The faculty member is the owner of the copyright for the movie,
- The faculty member has obtained copyright clearance from the film’s distributor/owner for a limited number of showings, or
- The faculty member has arranged payment for a license to show the movie on the campus cable TV system.
- We will not schedule any cable projection if we do not have the title for the movie. We allow up to 6 showings per week per requestor, but no more than 2 showings per day or 3 days per week. We allow movies to be shown at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm Monday through Thursday. On Friday we allow movies to be scheduled at 10am, 1pm, 4pm only. We do not schedule any movies on the weekend.
- Channel availablity is based on a first come, first served basis and we do our best to discourage any requestor from monopolozing the cable system.
How Long Can I Keep Equipment That Has Been Checked Out?
- Multimedia Services is a short term support service. Equipment loans are limited to a maximum of one week.
Does Multimedia Services Offer any Kind of Training?
- Faculty and staff are encouraged to request training on multimedia equipment that they will be using and with which they are not familiar. Send such requests to Multimedia Requests or call the help desk at (864) 294-3277
- Please try to request such training at least 24 hours in advance.