The Daily Targum 2014-11-12

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Serving the Rutgers community since 1869. Independent since 1980.

WEATHER AM Showers High: 66 Low: 35

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2014

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Students develop class registration web tool KATIE PARK CORRESPONDENT

When it comes time to register for classes, students are seated at their computers with their forefingers over their computer mice, ready to strike “register” faster than a cobra spits venom. Aaron Rosenheck and Mike Melchione, roommates and brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, know the tribulations of class registration. What began as a summertime idea on Richardson Street in New Brunswick stemmed into “Rutgers Course Watcher,” a Google Chrome extension that counted 300 users on its first day last Wednesday.

“It was more of a summer project, and we just released it now because of the registration period,” Rosenheck said. Rosenheck, a Rutgers Business School junior, and Melchione, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said RCW tracks the availability of any given course every minute. Students first download “Rutgers Course Watcher” for free through Chrome, a 5-second addition. A small picture of an eye appears at the top right-hand corner of the page. Students can then click to add a course they want to watch by entering their email address and SEE TOOL ON PAGE 5

Students exit the Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus. It will close to non-Rutgers affiliates after 10 p.m. beginning November 16. YANGENG LIN

Libraries require RUIDs past 10 p.m. ERIN PETENKO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Aaron Rosenheck (left), a Rutgers Business School junior, and Mike Melchione (right), a School of Arts and Sciences junior, developed a Chrome extension that tracks course registration. COLIN PIETERS

Rutgers is changing its policy to restrict the hours community members can use the librar y. Anyone remaining at the librar y after 10 p.m. will have to present their Rutgers ID to a librar y staf f member starting on Nov. 16, said Melissa Just, associate University librarian for research and instructional ser vices. The new rule is part of a series of alterations Librar y Ser vices is carr ying out to reduce overcrowding at locations like Alexander Librar y on the College Avenue campus, she said.

“We’re finding our buildings are full to capacity,” she said. “We wanted to set aside time to ensure affiliates have room to study.” Librar y Ser vices plans to begin the restriction with an announcement 10 to 30 minutes before the change. At 10 p.m., staff members will walk around the librar y checking IDs, and will request any new visitors to present an ID as well. Rutgers University Police Department members, most likely community ser vice officers, are scheduled to help the staff members complete this task, she said. The health sciences librar y already asks students, staf f and

faculty to show their ID before entering the building at any time of day, Just said. She has had experience with other libraries with the same policy, such as in her previous position at the 24hour University of California-Los Angeles librar y. The libraries are in the process of reviewing other methods to prevent overcrowding, such as evaluating the different uses of space at the librar y, from study desks to group rooms. Most of the librar y users are affiliated, although she could not produce specific statistics on the SEE LIBRARIES ON PAGE 4

Douglass Library allows patrons to rent from movie collection NATASHA TRIPATHI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tucked into the lower level of the Mabel Smith Douglass Library are a series of quiet rooms for students to watch their favorite movies. Now, students have the opportunity to take those movies home with the Circulating DVD Collection. The display shelf contains a sampling of popular movies from the libraries’ larger media collection in the Media Center at the lower level of Douglass Librar y. Librarians call it a Recreational/ Popular Movie Collection. Lily Todorinova, undergraduate experience librarian, and Jane Sloan, media librarian, developed the Douglass Library’s Circulating DVD Collection. Andres Mar tinez, super visor at Douglass Librar y, said he believes they both were happy to be able to open the DVD collec-

tion in the Media Center to the undergraduate population. The collection is in two parts: one section that can circulate to any Rutgers affiliates and a second that is open only to faculty, staff and graduates students, Martinez said. The general section, about 70 percent of the total collection, has a weeklong borrowing period, while the restricted section is available for three days. Todorinova said while the library has a scholarly purpose, the librarians also recognize the need for socialization and relaxation. “We want to do more things to promote a welcoming environment and build a community around the appreciation of good films,” she said. Todorinova said the newly created Circulating DVD Collection SEE COLLECTION ON PAGE 5

The Mabel Smith Douglass Library is now renting movies to students, with popular titles like “The Lion King” and “Edward Scissorhands” included in the collection. YANGENG LIN

­­VOLUME 146, ISSUE 104 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • FOOD & DRINK ... 6 • OPINIONS ... 8 • DIVERSIONS ... 10 • CLASSIFIEDS ... 12 • SPORTS ... BACK


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