By Anna Tsiaras
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Hours are limited for open computer access at Camden County College. Times vary among the three campuses, even as classes become more dependent on computers every year.
Library computer lab hours for the Blackwood, Cherry Hill and Camden campuses range from about 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, with varied times Saturday and no hours Sunday.
The Blackwood campus also has computers labs in Truman Hall in rooms 209 and 216A, which is a “dual purpose room,” according to the CCC website. However, Truman 209, which it stated has desktop computers, was recently found to be a locked classroom with no desktop computers visible through the window and Truman 216A could not be found.
Camden campus students share computer lab facilities with Rutgers-Camden, at which all labs open at 7:30 a.m. and some labs stay open until midnight. It also offers open hours on Sundays, unlike the Blackwood and Cherry Hill campuses.
Gregory Gourgue, a 19-year-old, full-time, first-year student on the Blackwood campus, expressed no problems with computer access. “The library computer lab fits my schedule well,” Gourgue stated.
However, Joan Flack, a night student on the Blackwood campus, said she finds the computer labs do not suit her needs. Flack said she is a special-needs student aide at a local school during the day. “If it was not for the computer access at my job, I would not be able to complete my assignments for class,” Flack said.
Flack suggested the computer labs should be open until about 11 p.m. a couple of days a week for college students like her who work or have other priorities during the day. “Maybe the school could offer laptop rentals,” Flack also suggested, noting she was faced with the dilemma of buying books or a laptop in the beginning of the fall semester. She chose books.
Camden County College students use the library’s third floor computer lab on the Blackwood campus. By Anna Tsiaris, CCC Journalism Program