Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

 
The Library Photocopier

In continuation of National Library Week, which was last week, I am writing a historical tidbit about our Tarleton library.  The library is a source of resources for students to use for class research assignments.  Many students print out their articles each and every day either from the comfort of their home or dorm room, or from the library.

The scenario was much different sixty years ago!  One could not look up articles from offsite – one had to come to the library – one couldn’t come to the library and just hit the print button to get a hardcopy of their article – a student had to actually come to the library, pull the hardcopy of the periodical, find the article, and photocopy it for use outside the library – or hand write notes from the article while in the library.

 

The photo above shows Tarleton students in the library laboriously taking notes from journal articles.  Fifty years ago a December 8, 1962 JTAC headline stated  “Book-Copier Purchased by TSC Library.”  It continued by saying “This fall the Tarleton Library acquired a book-copier, retail value of $300.  This photographic copier can duplicate most material found in the library for the students’ use.  The machine makes an actual-size, contact print of any page desired. The machine has been placed in the library for the students’ benefits.  It will prove most helpful in copying pages of reference, or other 'building use only' materials for research purposes.  The service is available to all students for a rate of ten cents per page, which is the approximate cost of reproduction.”  It even copied colors in graphs and maps.

 

Back then, and for several years, the library only had one copier and NO computers or printers.  Students had to stand in line to use the one copier.  Imagine what it would be like to have to do that today!

My how things have changed in the last fifty years!