When a cell phone battery displays the dreaded red bar, many people feel a little anxious to charge their phone. For some, it’s hard to imagine if you were unable to charge your phone.
After Superstorm Sandy, many people and businesses were without power for an extended period, unable to charge their phones. Libraries became a safe haven in times of crisis and are now recognized as partners in disaster preparedness. Libraries were the places people could access computers, use free Wi-Fi to contact relatives and insurance companies, fill out forms, and charge the batteries in their handheld devices and laptops.
In preparing for future catastrophic weather events, Rowan University’s Campbell Library received an award to purchase a secure public device charging station. Recently installed, this free and secure charging station will charge most phones or electronic devices, such as an iPad or tablet. The PowerUp station is accessible to the Glassboro campus and local community to charge their phones and devices during an emergency or widespread power outage, fully equipped with backup power.
“When personal emergencies or campus-wide emergencies happen, it is comforting to know where one can turn for assistance,” says Dr. Susan Fink, Director of Technical Services, Facilities and Business Administration for Rowan University Libraries. The charging station can provide basic assistance that can eliminate stress for students in a familiar, friendly environment – the library.”
In addition to being available in emergencies, the charging station is free for students to use daily and is located on the floor of Campbell Library.
Funding for this PowerUp Library Charging Stations initiative is provided by LibraryLinkNJ, The New Jersey Cooperative whose services are funded by the New Jersey State Library which is responsible for the coordination, promotion, and funding of the New Jersey Library Network. LibraryLinkNJ, the New Jersey Library Cooperative, is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization with a membership of 2,000 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. LLNJ provides the mechanism for its members to cooperatively offer New Jersey residents full and equal access to library materials, programs, and information that might not otherwise be available in their local communities.