Tag: virtual meetings

Video Conferencing pilot at Yale University Library

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Women using headset and webcam
Women using headset and webcam – via LogiTech blog (http://blog.logitech.com/)
Library IT seeks to provide a desktop video conferencing solution to help support those who are in distant and disparate locations and need to meet and collaborate. This is a unique opportunity for Library staff to help shape and inform Library IT’s selection and configuration of what will be Library’s video conferencing service.
Library IT will conduct preliminary evaluations of 4 video conferencing utilities:
  • Zoom
  • BlueJeans
  • Adobe Connect
  • Skype for Business
We are seeking volunteers who will provide feedback to inform our final decision. Volunteers will answer survey questions that will measure ease of use, reliability, integration into the YUL computing culture, and network feasibility for each solution.
Volunteers will receive a web cam, a headset and training for each of the video conferencing utilities. We are ready to invite 100 volunteers to help conduct the evaluations.  Volunteers will be asked to commit the following:
  • Volunteers must commit to conducting or participating in 3 to 4 video conferencing events per week.
  • Volunteers must commit to completing a brief survey after each video conferencing event.
How long will the pilot be conducted? 
The pilot will last 4 months, one month evaluation for each video conferencing utility.

Can all members of existing or new groups and/or committees participate? 
Yes, priority will be given to staff whose groups and/or committees would like to participate.  We strongly encourage groups such as these to participate in this pilot!
To volunteer, please fill out the Video Conferencing Volunteer Form.
We thank you in advance for your time and participation in this valuable pilot phase of video conferencing at YUL!

Adobe Connect now available for virtual meetings

Jenn Nolte

Earlier this year, Yale ITS acquired Adobe Connect, a video conferencing service. Over the fall 2014 semester, Library IT tested Adobe Connect with the equipment in several library conference rooms on campus (see blog announcements here and here).

We began this testing to ensure that library staff persons at every library location are able to maintain their meeting schedules easily, regardless of their physical location, particularly in advance of staff moving to 344 Winchester. We are pleased to announce that the testing was successful, and that Adobe Connect can be used effectively in these rooms for video conferencing.

Adobe Connect is supported centrally through Yale ITS; for help with Adobe Connect please visit this page or contact the central ITS Help Desk. 

Get started by logging in to Adobe Connect using your email address and NetId password:  http://greet.yale.edu
Detailed instructions are here.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: before using Adobe Connect for your virtual meeting, please do a 10-minute test of the setup in the room you are using. Contact Jenn Nolte and Reon Keller if you need help with the initial setup.

Always add 5-10 minutes for set up in advance of your virtual meeting!

Adobe Connect Features:

Audio and video

Text Chat

Screen sharing

Layouts for different meeting types, plus additional layout customization

File upload

Polling

Send invitations to a meeting in Outlook

Meeting recording (turned off by default)

Conference/meeting rooms tested:

  • Lewis Walpole
  • Sterling 315, 332, 409 and 511
  • BRBL conference rooms (check with Julie Dowe)
  • CSSSI
  • Medical
  • Divinity

Required equipment in conference rooms for Adobe Connect to work:

Video camera (most conference rooms will have this, contact Workstation Support if you don’t see this equipment)
Monitor

Microphone (built into the above; this is also available – contact Workstation Support for details)

Desktop computer

 

Please email Jenn Nolte and Reon Keller if you have any questions!

Library IT testing Adobe Connect for use in Library conference rooms

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In partial response to some library departments’ relocation to 344 Winchester, Jenn Nolte and Reon Keller from Library IT are currently testing the Adobe Connect video conferencing and collaboration service in Library-operated conference rooms around campus. Library IT is also simultaneously testing Microsoft’s Lync service, which is a chatting, phone and video conferencing service. All testing at the various sites have been successful thus far. Some rooms are already equipped with the necessary hardware, making it easy to set up and determine the best approach to video conferencing.

Conference rooms tested so far:

  • Lewis Walpole
  • Sterling 315, 332, 409 and 511
  • BRBL

Library IT will also test conference rooms at CSSSI, Medical and Divinity.

Once testing is completed, look for a how-to web page with set up information, video conferencing etiquette, best practices and a list of video conference enabled rooms. Library IT will also be conducting training on how to use Adobe Connect as well.

For questions, please contact reon.keller@yale.edu or jennifer.nolte@yale.edu.