U. of South Florida Libraries Will Begin Lending Drones For Aerial Photography This Fall

Interesting!  Drones for aerial photography will be available for library users to borrow beginning this Fall at the University of South Florida in Tampa once a renovation of the library’s first floor is completed.
From the USF News Service:

After the Smart Lab was created on the second floor we saw use of the building explode,” Garrison said. ”The success of the second floor’s added technology and computers have inspired a similar theme for the first floor of the building.”

New, more functional furniture will create a more productive study environment.

The wooden cubicles on the west side of the ground floor are being replaced with round tables that resemble those in the Smart Lab, which will allow for about 50 more computers in the area.
There will also be new and more functional furniture in the center of the library’s first floor. The center tables will run along a mid-height wall with a translucent glass divider to ensure the students’ privacy. This wall provides electric outlets available at each table for students to plug in their electronic devices.
The first floor bathrooms are also being renovated and the Writing Center is being moved to the second floor to make room for the newly expanded “Digital Media Commons.” In this area, students will be able to work on digital projects, using the university’s high-end computers and software, and they will also be able to check out video cameras, microphones and even drones. Students, who will be provided training in advance, will be able to check out the small remote-controlled airplane containing a video camera, which can be used to capture footage from an aerial view.
The area will be staffed with student employees to help their peers with questions about using the new technology.

Hopefully, USF Libraries will not only provide the drone technology but also encourage and sponsor discussions that this and other info tech often bring about including privacy, future of info tech, etc.
These are topics that libraries and librarians (independent of library type) can be and should be leading discussions on.
Read the Complete USF News Article
See Also: Learn More About the USF Smart Lab
Hat Tip: SaintPetersBlog

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