Ten pages of double-spaced type? I don’t think so! Our tech-savvy students are just as likely to turn in a video as a term paper in response to a class assignment.

And where do students find the equipment and expertise they need to create movies, podcasts, web pages, graphics, and presentations? In the library, of course. The Studio, a media production lab in the John C. Hodges Library, provides computers, software, and experts to assist students in the creation of media-enhanced projects.

Students can consult one-on-one with Studio staff about their projects or attend short courses on how to use software such as Photoshop, iMovie, and GarageBand. Students also may borrow a wide range of media production equipment including video cameras and lighting kits, still cameras, audio recorders, microphones, and more.

Students get a chance to show off their graphics skills through the Studio’s yearly video contest. Contest themes have varied, from issues of national importance (such as the 2008 Presidential campaign) to topics that reflect campus initiatives (such as UT’s “Make Orange Green” and “Civility” campaigns). Thanks to the Studio, everyone on campus has access to the tools needed to participate in the video contest.

The Studio is part of the library’s Commons, a technology-rich, dynamic learning space that over the past seven years has grown to encompass the entire second floor of Hodges Library. In addition to the latest technology, the Commons offers group study areas, an inviting setting, and round-the-clock hours that make it one of the most intensely used study spaces — and social hangouts — on campus.

Visit the Studio website at library.utk.edu/studio. To view some amazing examples of student-created video, visit the archive of the Studio’s video contest entries at trace.tennessee.edu/utk_libstud.