Additional electrical outlets are being installed in Joseph Regenstein Library in order to provide students with increased access to electrical power.
More than 1,000 new electrical outlets will be available on floors 1–5 and on the A-level, said Jim Vaughan, assistant director for access and facilities.
Removal of the old outboxes, referred to as “doghouses,” began during winter break in December. Construction on the outlets will conclude in late January.
The project began in Spring 2004 when University of Chicago students and faculty responded to a survey intended to assess the satisfaction of library users.
Responses repeatedly mentioned a lack of convenient sources of electrical power. Vaughan explained that the use of laptops has increased over the past few years.
Third-year Harsha Raghunath said she agrees that the library needs more outlets. “It’s the most annoying thing in the world to get to the [Regenstein] during finals week and have nowhere to plug in your laptop.”