Bookings

We post the lab schedules outside the Lab door so you know when you can and cannot enter. We also offer these schedules online in iCalendar format, which can be read by programs such as Calendar (iOS, iPadOS, macOS), iCal (older Macs), Google Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook.

• IAML Main Lab: Download | Subscribe
• IAML Small Lab: Download | Subscribe

Last-minute changes to the schedule (such as a class ending early) or irregular staff support hours are tweeted on Twitter (@uciaml) — if you don't use Twitter, just go to the Lab home page, where the latest tweets are listed.

If your intended use matches the intent of the space, getting access can be as easy as asking Lab staff. Our detailed policy describes everything you need to know.

Information about equipment and materials that can be booked and/or signed out by Fine Arts students and faculty is provided on the Services portion of this site under Equipment Loans. Loans/bookings are not available to the general campus community nor the community at large. We do not allow individuals to book stations in either Lab at this time.

Giving users access to the Labs and our equipment means we collect the amount of personal data needed to administer such access. Read our Privacy Statement for more details.

Note: This policy was established by the Faculty of Fine Arts prior to the related departments becoming part of the Faculty of Arts. Because it has not been revised by the Faculty of Arts, the original wording has been maintained here with the sole exception of any reference to the corporate donor (their naming rights have expired). The conditions of the founding grant require the use of this facility for fine/performing arts, so references to "Fine Arts" within this policy should be interpreted to refer to Art, Music, Drama and Dance and not the Faculty of Arts as a whole.

1. Intent
   • The mandate of the IAML Small Lab is to serve as a second teaching space and a speciality computing resource (suitable for research). It is a part of the Integrated Arts Media Labs.
   • Due to current size restrictions in the Collaboration / Presentation / Installation (CPI) spaces, the Small Lab mandate also includes use as a presentation space when a larger space is required. (Most commonly, this will occur for multichannel audio presentations.) [Editor's Note: The CPI spaces were reallocated in 2007 and have not been replaced.]
   • Like all Integrated Arts Media Labs spaces, the Small Lab is meant to be as accessible as possible to Fine Arts users whose work falls within the mandate of the space. Where access limitations exist, they are meant to ensure equitable usage among users and units within the Faculty [of Fine Arts] as well as the general good upkeep of the facilities.
      
2. Spaces Covered Under This Policy
   • The Small Lab is located in AB 605.
      
3. Booking Requests
   • The Lab or a subset of its stations may be booked for class usage (see Lab Booking Policy for details).
   • Individual stations may not be booked or reserved. Access priority is as stated in the Priority Access policy.
   • When the Lab is not booked or otherwise closed, it is available for drop-in usage.
      
4. Drop-in Access
   • Drop-in access to the Small Lab is provided on a request basis.
   • Categories of access hours will be established in the operating procedures for the purposes of security and access. Default access levels will be set for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff, and special access users.
   • Drop-in access requests can be made by Fine Arts Users (see definition below) or by an instructor of record of a course in Art, Music, Drama, Dance or Fine Arts (FINA) on behalf of the students in their class. Requests that meet the mandate of the Small Lab (see Intent, above) will be granted.
   • When making a request for drop-in access, the following information must be supplied by/for the user and will be recorded:
     • user name and U of C ID number,
     • academic purpose for requesting access, and
     • proof of eligibility as a Fine Arts User (if proof is not already on file).
   • Users may be also required to submit a letter of support (see definition below) from a professor in Art, Music, Drama, Dance or Fine Arts if it is not clear that their academic purpose for requesting access conforms to the mandate of the Small Lab and/or if their request for access hours exceeds what would normally be granted.
   • Users who do not normally qualify for drop-in access using the preceding process may request special access to the Small Lab. The request must be accompanied by a letter of support from a Fine Arts Department/Program Head or from the Fine Arts Technology Commitee or from the Dean of Fine Arts. Such requests will be honoured providing that the needs of Fine Arts Users are not negatively impacted by granting such special access.
   • Drop-in access is managed using a U of C Campus Card enabled for proximity card systems.
   • Most users will need to reapply for drop-in access on an annual basis.
      
5. Operating Procedures
   • Class Booking requests are made through the Head Technician.
   • Drop-in Access requests may be made to any Lab Technician.
   • A class instructor may also request drop-in access for a class of students, so long as the appropriate information is supplied for each individual user.
   • The Head Technician will review all drop-in access requests to ensure that each request is within the mandate of the space. All approved requests will be submitted to Campus Security for activation.
   • If the Head Technician is uncertain that the academic purpose for drop-in access falls within the mandate of the Small Lab, the Head Technician may require that a letter of support be provided by a professor in Art, Music, Drama, Dance or Fine Arts. Such letter of support must include the user's name or ID number and must verify the validity of the user's access request. Optionally, the letter may contain stipulations regarding access (e.g., expiry date). Once a suitable letter of support has been received by the Head Technician, the request will be approved (with any stipulated limitations) and submitted to Campus Security for activation.
   • If a user applies for drop-in access and does not have a U of C Campus Card that works with the proximity card system at the time Campus Security processes the request, the user will not receive drop-in access. The user must replace their Campus Card (at no cost) and subsequently reapply for access with Lab staff.
   • For approved requests, the default access hours will be 07:00-23:00 daily for undergraduate student users and 24-hour access for Faculty, staff and graduate student users. Undergrauate users wishing 24-hour access must supply a letter of support from a professor in Art, Music, Drama, Dance or Fine Arts. The hours of access for special access users must be specified in their letter of support; normally, this would be one of 09:00-16:00 weekdays, 07:00-23:00 daily, or 24-hour access.
   • Normally, drop-in access will be deleted for all undergraduate and graduate student users on an annual basis (usually at the end of April or August). Special access users and users who gain access due to a particular class will have their access deleted on a fixed date (e.g., when the class ends) and may also be deleted when all undergraduate and graduate student users are deleted. Access for faculty and staff may or may not be deleted on the same schedule based on the technical demands of the card access system.
      
6. Responsibility
   • The Technology Committee (2006) of the Faculty of Fine Arts is responsible for setting and maintaining policies related to the Small Lab. Such policies are subject to the approval of Faculty of Fine Arts Council.
   • With the exception of Operating Procedures, changes to this policy require the approval of the Technology Committee or the Faculty parent body (at this time, DAC). Operating Procedures may be changed as required by the Head Technician, subject to direction from the Technology Committee.
      
7. Definitions
   • Fine Arts User:
     A student pursuing a degree in Art, Music, Drama and/or Dance, whether undergraduate or graduate; a staff or faculty member currently employed in any of the units within the Faculty of Fine Arts.
   • Letter of Support:
     When a "letter of support" is required, it may be either a letter signed by the author on paper (preferably on University of Calgary letterhead) or an e-mail message sent from a known or verifiable e-mail address connected to the author. The policy itself will determine who is a valid sender of said letter of support. In cases where a "professor" is required, this refers to any academic staff member other than a sessional instructor, as defined in the collective agreement between the Governors of the University of Calgary and The Faculty Association of the University of Calgary (TUCFA).

Basic Software Load:

• macOS
• Apple iTunes, Photos, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, Keynote
• Microsoft Office for Mac (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

 Professional Software Load:

• Basic software load (macOS, iLife, iWork, Office)
• Adobe Creative Cloud — selected apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Premiere Pro, After Effects)
• Apple Final Cut Pro X and Motion
• Apple Logic Pro X
• Max (multimedia and interactive software)
• Vectorworks (Computer-Assisted Drafting and modelling)
• Z-Brush (3D modelling)

Other software may be available, especially for smaller bookings; please ask. For audio work, user should bring their own headphones (mini audio jack).

10 workstations

• iMac 27" (Late 2012)
• 16 GB RAM
• 88-key MIDI keyboard (M-Audio Keystation 88es or II)
• Apple Mouse and Keyboard

Instructor Station (iMac 21.5" Late 2013, 8 GB RAM) with 1280 x 800 projector, screen, and stereo speakers (more speakers available at an extra charge)

HDMI and VGA connections to the projector if you wish to use your own laptop/device for presentations

All stations networked and internet-connected

20 workstations

• Mac Pro or Mac mini computers
• 16 GB RAM minimum
• Displays: Art-grade 24" NEC displays
• 88-key MIDI keyboard (M-Audio Keystation 88es or II)
• Apple Mouse and Keyboard

Instructor Station (iMac 21.5" Late 2015, 16 GB RAM) with 1920 x 1080 (1080p) projector, screen, and stereo speakers

HDMI and VGA connections to the projector if you wish to use your own laptop/device for presentations

Letter/A4-size Flatbed Scanner (transparency and large format scanner available for an extra charge)

All stations networked and internet-connected

These are only available in conjunction with your Lab booking. The rate is the same for all groups booking a Lab (no U of C or half-day discounts).

• Film scanners: Nikon Coolscan 5000: $10 each day; Epson Perfection V700 Photo with Transparency adapter: $10 each day. No half-day rate.
• Digital Audio Recorders (e.g., Zoom H5, Zoom H4n): $20 each day. No half-day rate. Not all may be available, as academic users have priority.
• Other equipment we have is exclusively reserved for the academic use of classes in Art, Music, Drama and Dance.
• Staff costs are included for bookings 08:30-16:30 weekdays (staff will not be present for an hour at lunch time and for 15 minutes mid-morning and mid-afternoon). For bookings outside of those hours, UTS Technical labour rates ($40/h) will be charged (minimum 3 hours per day booked). Any booking that requires or uses more than 7 staff hours in a day will be charged UTS Technical overtime rates ($60/h). All bookings on holidays will be charged UTS Technical overtime rates in addition to the lab rental charge.
• Requests for custom software installation are generally not accepted. When such requests are accepted, Lab staff will perform the installation and removal of the software at a charge of $80/h (billed in half-hour increments). The request should be made at the time of booking.
• If you need demonstration files pushed out to all the machines, the files will be distributed at no charge provided they are provided two business days before the booking. Files provided after the deadline will be treated in the same manner as software installation (i.e. billed at $80/h in half-hour increments).

Neither food nor drink is allowed in the Labs (water bottles are OK, but please be careful). If you wish to have snacks or meals on site, the University requires that you use one of the two on-campus caterers, U of C Food Services (Aramark) or MacEwan Conference & Event Centre (Students' Union). Current University policy may limit which caterer you use based on location; please ask when booking.

Bookings for curricular classes in Music, Art, Drama and Dance are not governed by this policy at this time.