Copy Cards (or: Money grab at the expense of grad students)

I was just on my way over to the library to photocopy parts of a book, when I realized that there is an important public service announcement all library users should be aware of: In an effort to Robin Hood grad students out of the poorhouse and into the gutters, HSSE and probably other libraries are undergoing a conversion of their copy card system.

For those of you unfamiliar, copy cards work as such:

Put a dollar into the dispenser, get a card with $0.40 credit (presumably the $0.60 covers the cost of the card?). Then put that card in the little slot, and add more money, because although you can now make copies for $0.04 instead of a nickel like the common folk, $0.40 still isn't enough to copy much of anything at all. Tada!

So it's a convenience thing mostly, right? You can use the copy card to make copies without having to constantly drop in nickels, and the generous 20% discount on copies saves you a buck-fifty while you're at it. Which is nice, I guess.

Only now, since this system works perfectly, the libraries are changing their copy card system. Such is life in the bureaucracy. Even better, they have no plans to roll over balances from the old system! So in other words, if you load up your trusty copy card with a ten, when the new system rolls out, you are el-fucked-o.

Just a word to the wise.

And of course, if you want to get rid of your copy card now to make sure it doesn't go to waste, just toss it in the campus mail to Chuck Smith / SLHS and I'll make sure your balance finds a good home :)