All posts by Petar Mitrevski

Goodbye Stewart Lane!

Midd Points

Stewart Lane is retiring on June 14th, after 25+ years of service!
Stewart has been the real embodiment of a Media Services and ITS staff. Courteous, expedient and willing to take on any task, from helping a faculty with their laptop in a classroom, to screening Hirschfield films on late nights, to running a video camera, to supervising our students, to redesigning a classroom and programming lighting systems. He’s been a real go-getter, with a can-do attitude! I can’t count the emails and other positive feedback that I’ve received for him from customers over the years.

Stewart would like to thank Norm Cushman and Bryan Merril for giving him a job and a chance to become part of Middlebury back in the 90s.

We will miss you dearly Stewart, especially your dedication to work, as well as your cheer and lightheartedness.

A tip of the hat to Stewart!

Some of the kind words of thanks that Stewart has received over the years:
…phenomenal! #epic…
Thank you for your swift and diligent support. This was an excellent service provided.

  • “…incredible effort you have put in to get ready for this year’s Fest. There are so many fabulous films that are screening at Dana…”
  • It’s been great working with you over the years…
  • Many thanks for the timely save yesterday–I’m glad you and Jen remained unflappable.
  • took a lot of pressure off of my shoulders.
  • terrific
  • We’re very fortunate here to get such personal attention from you and other Support staff!!
  • thank you for your help and patience
  • thank you again very much for going above and beyond the call of duty
    heartfelt thanks to you
  • It’s a pleasure to work with such professional and capable colleague
  • thank you for saving me last week with that screening
  • Thank you SO much for being patient with the laptop and us, non-techies.

Attention VPN (Pulse Secure) Users!

Midd Points

On January 31, 2019, Information Technology Services (ITS) will enable a feature on the Virtual Private Network (VPN) system that will detect if your VPN software needs to be upgraded to the latest release. If an upgrade is indicated, you will see a popup window from the Pulse Secure VPN application informing you that “An upgrade is available for Pulse Secure.” Please click on “Upgrade” to complete the upgrade process. Keeping the client up to date will ensure that all security updates have been applied.

Users of the older Juniper VPN client should note that the system tray icon has changed. The Pulse Secure client icon now looks like a fancy letter “S.”

Linux Users: The automatic upgrade isn’t offered for Linux; the new client can be downloaded manually from https://middfiles.middlebury.edu/software/public/VPN/

If you have concerns or issues with this upgrade please contact the Help Desk at http://go.middlebury.edu/helpme/, helpdesk@middlebury.edu, or 802-443-2200.

MiddMedia and Muskrat are being replaced with Panopto

Midd Points

After a period of review and evaluation, Middlebury College adopted Panopto, a new service for creating, storing and sharing video. Panopto has been used since June 2017, with more than 1100 users and 5000 hours of video stored on it currently. In addition, Google Drive and Office 365 offer the ability to store and share video files, at no charge to us. To support these new products, and to reduce operating expenses, ITS needs to decommission MiddMedia and Muskrat, two older systems for storing and sharing video files. Both MiddMedia and Muskrat are less user friendly and lack the functionality of Panopto, Google Drive and Office 365.

  • On December 1, 2018 we will turn off the ability to store new files in MiddMedia and Muskrat.
  • You will have time until June 1, 2019 to migrate files from Muskrat, and until January 1, 2020 to migrate your files from MiddMedia. We expect most people will be able to migrate videos on their own, but those with more than twenty files can contact us for support.
  • Muskrat videos will remain available in read only mode until June 1, 2019 when we will decommission Muskrat.
  • MiddMedia videos will remain available in read-only mode until January 1, 2020, to comply with data retention policies for courses. On January 1, 2020 we will decommission MiddMedia.
  • For information on how to migrate your files, please visit this page: Move Your Files From MiddMedia to Panopto.

The Google Drive software is being replaced

Midd Points

Google is discontinuing the Google Drive software that synchronizes files from your computer to the cloud. The software is being replaced with two new options, outlined in our Google Drive Notice. The Google Drive online service (https://drive.google.com) is not changing, and can be accessed on the web or using one of the replacements below. On December 11, 2017 Google stopped supporting the Drive software. On March 12, 2018, the Drive software will stop working.

If you use Google Drive strictly via the website (https://drive.google.com) and do not use the Google Drive software on your Mac or PC to synchronize your files to the cloud, then you will not be affected by the changes listed below. However, you should still consider the new functionality offered by Google and described in our Google Drive Notice.
Of the two replacement options made available by Google (Drive File Stream and Backup & Sync),

ITS recommends that users of the Google Drive software install Drive File Stream to access their Middlebury Google Drive. Drive File Stream frees up disk space, decreases sync time and minimizes the amount of Middlebury data stored on your computer. The other option available, Backup and Sync, does not offer these advantages.

To install Drive File Stream, for a comparison of options or for more information, please see the Google Drive Notice.

Video Conferencing Tool for Middlebury: Zoom

ITS, Post for MiddNotes, Post for MiddPoints

We are pleased to introduce a new tool that will make communication and collaboration easier regardless of your location.

In the fall of 2016, a team representing Academic Technology, the Digital Learning Commons at Monterey, ITS, and the Office of Digital Learning set out to identify a new video conferencing solution that would improve the ways we communicate and work with each other across Middlebury. The team selected Zoom Video Conferencing as the tool that best met Middlebury’s needs, and initiated a pilot program in January 2017. Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from academic and administrative groups, Middlebury is now making Zoom available to all users.

Zoom works with our existing video conferencing rooms and includes features such as video calls with up to 100 participants, screen sharing, breakout groups, webinars, and more. It’s quick to download and easy to use. Zoom will completely replace the Polycom software by January 1st, 2018. If you use a dedicated Polycom video conferencing unit in conjunction with an office or conference room monitor, it will continue to function and you can use it together with Zoom by dialing your Zoom meeting as described in our documentation.

To start using Zoom, please visit http://middlebury.zoom.us and sign in with your Middlebury credentials. We hope that you will find Zoom convenient and useful in your work. We invite your comments and suggestions about the service and our communications regarding it. You can submit feedback here.

For more information, please visit the Zoom web page.
For questions and other support, please visit the support page.

Goodbye VHS (and LaserDisc) – The Analog Sunset

For Faculty, For Staff

This is a reminder and an update since our post in April regarding removal of VHS and LaserDisc players from classrooms starting January 1, 2014.

Important notice about the analog video format
This is an important notice about the analog video format. It relates to the phasing out analog media and analog players (VCR, Laserdisc [LD] and slide projectors) in the classrooms at Middlebury College. Please review the next sections for information on the reasons behind this and the approach that LIS plans to undertake.

Summary of the analog sunset plan
Analog media (VHS, Betamax, U-matic, etc.) and certain digital media (LaserDiscs) have become obsolete – new media are not being produced, nor are replacement players. For LaserDisc and VCR technology, better, higher quality, and easier to use digital technologies have emerged. By removing these media players players and slide projectors from classrooms, and by replacing these older formats with digital ones, we can ensure that our classrooms will continue to be functional, easy to use, and easy to support, both now and in the near future.

The media and computer industries have chosen to retire certain older audio and video technologies and move to newer digital audio and video formats. This means the imminent death of VHS, LaserDisc, 3/4″ tape and, eventually, even our beloved VGA (and possibly even 16mm and 35mm film, but we don’t know that quite yet). BluRay (using a newer connection type – HDMI) and streaming Internet video are the newer formats intended to replace all of the aforementioned older media formats. The DVD format remains alive, for now.

LIS has developed a plan to address the obsolescence of these older formats and support for the new ones. The process is guided by a combination of technology options, copyright law, and input from our user community. The Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines section of the Handbook outlines some of the copyright intricacies. If you currently have a VHS tape, Laserdisc or 35mm slides that you use for class, you should be developing a strategy for migrating the class material to a different media for use inside and outside of class (see What can you do to prepare.)

Important Dates

  • Phase I – Beginning January 1, 2013 LIS will no longer add VHS players to new or renovated classrooms. Current status: VHS players were not added to any of the Warner classrooms after the renovations in January, 2013. VCRs were also not added to the new smart classrooms in Twilight (May/June 2013).
  • Phase II – Beginning January 1, 2014 LIS will begin removing VHS, LaserDisc, and slide projectors from all classrooms except for the main auditoriums (Sunderland Dana, Alexander Twilight Auditorium, and Axinn 232). We need to preserve as many of these devices as possible for spare parts and archival purposes.
  • Phase III – Onward and upward. LIS will continue to move forward with digital technology, including investigating reliable streaming options, and strive to accommodate any emerging technologies for the future.

What we are doing to prepare

  • Over the past two years, LIS has replaced a large amount of analog and obsolete media (VHS & LaserDisc) placed on Library Reserves with DVD or Blu-Ray media. Last winter, a large LaserDisc deselection project reduced our holdings by almost 90% and was lauded by staff and faculty as a strong step forward. In the past year we’ve been turning our attention to the VHS collection, targeting those items which have never circulated, which reduced our holdings by over 35%. We are currently in the process of removing VHS copies of works for which we also have DVD and/or Blu-Ray versions.
  • Other VHS titles have not circulated at all in the past seven years (i.e., since our migration of MIDCAT to the current platform), and we are reviewing those titles with faculty input and assistance. Individual departments should check their collection of media titles for VHS items. If any are crucial for teaching or research, LIS can attempt to purchase new copies in modern format (DVD or Blu-Ray) if we do not already have them. If these formats are not available, we will retain the VHS. All other VHS will be removed from the collection.
  • Our classrooms will continue to have the option of bringing in an analog or obsolete digital device (VCR, LaserDisc player, slide projector) for the foreseeable future. LIS maintains an inventory of VCRs, LaserDisc players, and slide projectors in functional condition available for check-out from the Library circulation desk. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to maintain and repair these devices indefinitely, as new supplies dwindle.
  • We are following similar steps with our collection of aging audio cassettes. Cassettes that have never circulated in the past seven years are being reviewed. Cassettes that have been put on reserve or that have circulated will be replaced, retained, or migrated to a newer format.
  • Please place individual requests to purchase replacements VHS/LaserDisc media at go/requests.

What can you do to prepare
If you currently have a VHS tape, Laserdisc or 35mm slides that you use for class, you should be developing a strategy for migrating the class material to a different media for use inside and outside of class. Look for DVD, Blu-Ray or (legal) Internet video replacements for any VHS, LaserDisc, 3/4″ tape, or Betamax titles in your personal collection. The Library (go/requests) or your liaison (go/liaisons) can assist you with this. If a commercial digital copy is available we will attempt to purchase a replacement; processing times will vary based on availability. Before any in-house conversion of analog or obsolete digital formats is done, however, we need to determine the legality of the duplication request. Expect about 5 business days for the copyright question to be resolved (this can be a somewhat complex issue) and another 5 business days for the actual conversion.

Your input is needed!
We are looking for feedback on the plan, the process and our communications. You can reach out to your LIS liaison or contact me (Petar Mitrevski) directly. You can also post a response right here on the blog and start a lively discussion.

We emphasize the analog sunset whenever we receive a report that a VCR player or VHS tape is broken. We have shared this plan with the Faculty LIS Advisory Group (FLAC) and are working to incorporate their feedback. LIS liaisons will continue to work with each academic department to share this plan and engage in discussion. We have talked about the analog sunset in our December Quarterly Update, April Quarterly Update, and in the context of the recent classroom renovations in Warner. But we need more input from our community. Thank you!

More Information
You can read the entire plan at http://go.middlebury.edu/analog. In addition, we’ve developed an FAQ section based on questions from our community. You can also check what other schools are doing to address the issue.

New Smart Classrooms in Twilight

Middlebury Community Interest, Post for MiddNotes, Post for MiddPoints

Dear colleagues,

In late May and early June of this year, LIS worked with Facilities Services to add new media equipment in several classrooms in Twilight: 110, 204, 206 and 301. You can now play DVD (or Blu ray) discs on a larger screen or connect your laptop and show a presentation in these rooms. However, due to the industry’s goal to eliminate analog media, we were not able to add VCRs in these classrooms – VCRs and VHS tapes are simply not being produced anymore. We have announced the analog sunset in MiddPoints, but it is worth mentioning again that, as we update technology in classrooms, we will need to continue removing VCRs. Please visit the Analog Sunset page to learn more about what LIS is doing about this and what you can do to prepare. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Why TVs?
Note that in these classrooms we chose to use flat screen TVs instead of a projector & projection screen. This reduced the project costs by close to 60%. In addition (and unlike a projector) the TVs do not need a lamp, which further reduces our operating costs and ensures that a class is not interrupted by a lamp failure. You can see a photo of room 204 here.

Whiteboard in Twilight 204
Please note that during the installation of the equipment in room 204, we had to move the whiteboard to one of the sidewalls. The room has a 12 foot chalkboard and another portable chalkboard. We can certainly add a portable whiteboard to the room, if that is necessary, just let me know.

How-to & Orientation
The equipment in the classrooms is simple and similar to other rooms on campus, however it is new for twilight. There are written instructions in a drawer under the screen in each of the rooms, and the same instructions are online: Using the Media Equipment in Twilight 110, 204, 206, 301. However, if you would like an orientation on how to use the technology in these rooms, please let me know.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Petar