Early bird or night owl, Baker Systems computer lab is available for students.
The computer lab, located in room 590, is the only lab open 24 hours a day, seven days a week – except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s day.
“We want to make sure that most software packages and hardware are available at all times so the campus community is being served whatever time needed,” said Fred Felter, manager of Student Computer Centers. “I know that not everyone has the same sleep schedule as everyone else. We need to make sure we are serving the best we can to the entire community.”
The lab, which originally featured a single computer, now contains 45 personal computers, 18 Macintosh computers, six laptop stations and multiple scanners and printing stations.
“When I was a student in the ’60s, (room 590) was a 24-hour mainframe,” said Bob Kalal, director of information policy and services.
The hours can be time consuming for employees, but Felter said it is beneficial to the students.
“I think this is a great service to OSU. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to keep a computer lab going 24 hours a day,” Felter said.
About eight students use the lab between midnight and 7 a.m., Felter said.
“We’ve had requests for additional 24-hour labs,” Kalal said. “Baker Systems is definitely used at all times.”
The possibility for a new 24-hour computer lab is still undetermined, he said.
According to Kalal, the week before finals is one of the busiest of the year. The lab is open over break to meet the needs of students who don’t go home.
“Some of the students that work here prefer later hours,” Felter said. “For safety and efficiency, we always have two employees in Baker 590 at all times.”
Because Baker is the only 24-hour lab, some students are not aware that it exists.
“I had no idea that there was a lab on campus that was always open,” said Mark Frazee, a junior in biology. “The lab is amazing but now I’m a little upset because now I don’t have an excuse for not getting my papers done.”
