Digital Creator Lab

Working on a digital project?

WHAT WE DO

Digital Literacy Consultants are highly-trained students ready to help you improve your digital skills. Digital Literacy Consultants can help you with:

  • Develop an approach for completing digital projects
  • Learn basic computer skills for Windows and Mac
  • Determine mediums for digital communication
  • Navigate technologies for media production
  • Edit and revise projects made with technology
  • Understand basic digital ethics and safety 
  • Visualize basic data sets
  • Engage fully and responsibly with the internet, social media platforms, and other tech services

Make an Appointment


The Digital Creator Lab (DCL) is located on the 2nd floor of the Mary Idema Pew Library. The DCL is staffed with highly trained Digital Literacy Consultants to help you with your digital projects. 

The Digital Creator Lab is staffed with digital skills consultants who are trained in relevant audio and video editing software (Davinci Resolve, Anchor). To support this software, we offer dual monitor computers (Macs and PCs) for students to work and collaborate on their academic and creative projects. 

 

The DCL includes five sound resistant glass booths, 1 podcasting booth and 4 study pods. The study pods are for students wanting a quiet space to work among other students. Library patrons may use these booths during open library hours.

During open Digital Creator Lab hours, the podcasting booth is reserved for students wanting to record and / or edit audio. The podcasting booth is equipped with two microphones and an audio mixer where students can hook up their laptop and record audio. 

*Please note that while the Podcast Booth and Study Pods are for all library users, the DCL wants to prioritize student use / need in this space, especially during high volume times during the semester (middle and end of the semester).
 

Students can check out equipment from the Digital Creator Lab at the Mary Idema Pew Library and Steelcase Library service desks. Equipment is first come, first served (reservations are not available). More information about equipment can be found by following the link below.

Equipment Checkout 

Digital Literacy Consultants are trained to help students with a variety of software, programs, and technology. Below are examples of technology that Digital Literacy Consultants can assist with. Please note that this list is non-exhaustive. These examples are to provide students a sense of the kinds of services the Digital Literacy Consultants offer. 

  • Microsoft Office (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides,
  • Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign
  • Social Media (i.e. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
  • And more!

Located in the Resource Market, the DCL offers an online repository of asynchronous tutorials about software and hardware in the Digital Creator Lab. This includes basic tutorials on how to use the items in the equipment checkout program. 

Resource Market Tutorials


Hours and Locations

The Digital Creator Lab opens for the fall semester on Tuesday, September 3.

 Mary Idema Pew Library (Allendale)

 

Mondays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesdays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Wednesdays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Thursdays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Online                                                                          

 

Mondays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesdays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Wednesdays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Thursdays

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.


Meet With Us

What to Expect in a Consultation

Digital Literacy Consultants are available to work with you online or in-person at the Digital Creator Lab in the Mary Idema Pew Library. With both mediums, a consultant will meet with you one-on-one for 30 minutes to discuss your digital project. The content of every session is different because consultants are focused on your individual needs. 

Consultations are most productive if you:

  • Have your assignment sheet
  • Come prepared with specific questions
  • Leave plenty of time to work on your project before it's due

Expect a friendly conversation with a highly-trained peer that will end with a plan for improving your project. Feel free to come back with new drafts of your project or more questions!

Click the link below to make an appointment or join our virtual drop-in queue. We look forward to working with you!

Meet With a Consultant

student working together on computers

How Consultants are Trained

Digital Literacy consultants are trained in a variety of programs including:

  • Podcasting software
  • Vlogging and video editing software
  • Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
  • Microsoft Office
  • and more!

Consultants also learn peer consulting strategies. They are trained to offer options and guidance while giving you full control of the consultation. We're here to help, but the decisions are yours. 

If you have any questions about our hiring or training methods, please contact Avery Olearczyk, Digital Literacy Librarian.

Meet the Digital Literacy Consultants! Visit our page to read about each Digital Literacy Consultant's area of specialty. 


Looking for Resources?

We've got you covered! You can find tutorials, guide sheets, and helpful links in our Resource Market.

Resource Market


Frequently Asked Questions

We have a variety of options for you to choose from to have a consultation that meets your needs. We'll meet you in person or online, and you can schedule an appointment in advance or drop by during open hours. If you need additional accommodations or have questions, please use the button below to contact Avery Olearczyk, Digital Literacy Librarian. We look forward to working with you!

Contact Us

Appointments are 30- or 50-minute consultations that are reserved for you. To create an appointment:

  1. Log into Book It using your Blackboard username and password
  2. Click on "New Appointment" at the top
  3. Select the service you would like 
  4. Use the form to choose the details for your appointment and click "Confirm & Schedule" in the pop-up box

Make an Appointment

Drop-ins are 30-minute consultations that take place in the order in which students arrive for them. Everything is the same as an appointment except you may need to wait for a consultant to become available.

For an in-person drop-in: tell the receptionist you'd like a drop-in consultation.

For an online drop-in:

  1. Log into Book It
  2. Click on "Virtual Drop-in" at the top of the page
  3. Select the service you'd like
  4. Accept the privacy policy
  5. Click "Enter Drop-in Queue"

Refresh the My Appointments page periodically so you'll see the "Enter Appointment" button pop up when your consultant is ready to begin. That button will take you to a Google Meet room for your consultation.

Join the Drop-in Queue

Yes, the Digital Creator Lab provides online consultations so you can access our services from wherever you are! We use Google Meet, which is a video chat platform in the Google Suite. This is a free service to you as a Grand Valley student; just be sure to use your student Gmail account. The features available include: 

  • Video
  • Audio
  • Screen sharing
  • Chat
  • Document sharing
  • Closed captioning

To have a virtual consultation, make an appointment or join the drop-in queue using Book It. Refresh the My Appointments page periodically so you'll see the "Enter Appointment" button pop up when your consultant is ready to begin. That button will take you to a Google Meet room for your consultation.

Start or Schedule a Virtual Consultation

Yes! At the end of your session, your consultant will ask if you'd like a copy of your session notes sent to your professor. A copy will automatically be emailed to you as well, so you can forward it if you choose to share later.

For questions about how your session notes are stored and can be shared, please read our privacy policy.

When the Digital Creator Lab is hiring, our application will be posted on this webpage. Applications typically go live for the following year in January.



Page last modified August 21, 2024