Tech problems delay ID swipe
By Todd Feathers, News Correspondent

A new policy requiring students and faculty to swipe their Northeastern Husky Cards in order to enter the library was recently put on hold due to technical difficulties with the card swiping machines.

Library administrators announced the policy in early December, and the machines were installed for a short while over winter break but had to be removed because they were unable to read older faculty cards.

Library administrators said the policy is designed to increase security in the library, where thefts are too common.

“The purpose of the policy is to ensure a safe study area for Northeastern students, faculty, and staff,” said Lesley Milner, Associate Dean of User Services for Snell Library.

Milner did not provide a date for when the policy would be put back into action. She said library officials are working on a combination of new card swiping machines and new ID cards for some faculty and staff, and once the problems are worked out, the policy will be put back into effect.

The Northeastern University Division of Public Safety (NUPD) recommended the measure after they performed a security survey of the library. Milner said the current library policy, which requires students and faculty to flash their ID to the door proctor, made it possible for thieves to use stolen or out-of-date cards to gain access to the library.

“Students lose their IDs all the time,” she said. “We had occurrences of people who had had known problems in the neighborhood who had been able to get hold of the IDs.”

The library will not change its policy regarding people without Northeastern IDs who wish to enter the library. The current procedure requires such persons to produce a valid photo ID. Their names and addresses are then entered into a log for library records.

“It’s part of a larger consensus at the school that’s really dedicated to improving the security situation at the library,” said Michael Sabo, Student Government Association (SGA) vice president for academic affairs.

Some students expressed concern that the new policy would result in long lines to enter the library.

“I don’t think it’s necessary and I think it would take a lot of time,” freshman industrial engineering major Flavia Calvar said.

Milner and Sabo both said the process would be swift and much safer than the current procedure.

Smit Gujarathi, a first-year computer sciences graduate student and door proctor at the library, said he also supports the policy.

“It won’t be that big of a problem,” he said. “All the good colleges have that system, and it’s good for security.”

Boston University and Boston College do not require students to produce any form of identification to enter their libraries. Harvard installed card-swiping machines in their libraries in 2004, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) requires students to swipe their cards if they are in the library after midnight.

Some student said taking the time to swipe their ID at the door would be a small price to pay for increased security at the library.

”It’s fine with me,” senior English major Charlie Treat said. “I’d rather take the extra two seconds and not have my stuff stolen. They hardly ever pay attention with cards anyway.”