Owen Library’s main floor used to be a place students could print as much as they wanted for free, but, with the replacement of old library printers, free printing has come to an end.

Self-service printing in campus labs became available on the library’s main floor at the end of last spring semester, said Library Director Eve Wider.

There is now only one printer on the main floor, but it works well, according to Wider.

“The old printers seemed to have problems quite frequently; this one seems to be a little more hardy.”

With this new printer came printing limits. Each student is allotted 900 pages; if a student exceeds this limit, they can pay $7 for an additional 100 pages at the library’s help desk, said Wider.

It was convenient that the main floor used to provide free printing, according to Wider, but the expense for this became too much.

“We couldn’t afford to keep printing unlimited for everyone.

“It (expense) just kept increasing; we didn’t have the money.”

Sophomore Alexis Kauffman said that her professors required her to print readings and essays.

According to Kauffman, some of her professors also required a syllabus for class but didn’t have a copy printed out, meaning more prints for her.

She said that her professors can go through PowerPoint presentations quickly making it hard to keep up.

“Having those notes printed and in front of you makes things significantly easier.”

Kauffman said a policy could help prevent students from exceeding printing limits.

“If professors can’t print something off for you because they don’t have the time, then those pages shouldn’t be added to student’s accounts.”

Junior Morgan Shumaker said that the printing limit is concerning because many classes require her to print reading materials.

“When I first started (classes), I was printing off 30 pages for just one PowerPoint presentation.”

She said that she has already used up 100 pages within the first week of classes.

Despite the limit, Shumaker said that she wouldn’t mind paying for more pages to print.

“I don’t feel like $7 would be too much for me; unlike other students who might print out more than I do. I think they would be even more concerned.”

Shumaker said she thinks that there could be other ways to work the printing limit system in a way that is more beneficial to students.

“I think there needs to be something in place where students can share their printing privileges with other students who may need them more.”