Q: “Why did the UI Main Library install a flat-screen TV to show which computers were open?”

A: The ITS staff in the UI Main Library added a 52-inch monitor in late fall 2008 at the entrance to the second-floor computer lab, hoping to help students find available computers. The screen cost the UI roughly $2,000.

“We’ve had students comment that this saves them the trouble of wandering around the facility looking for a lone open computer,” said Kirk Baruth, an ITS communication specialist.

He said ITS also intends to install similar technology across campus in the future to help students find available computer resources.