The equipment room is open from 9am to 6pm, Monday through Friday, on days when there are in-person classes. We are closed on all college holidays and breaks, as well as during reading days and exams.

The first day to pick up equipment for the Spring 2025 semester will be Wednesday, February 5th, and the last day to return equipment for the Spring 2025 semester will be Monday, May 5th (the last day of classes). Please plan ahead accordingly so you can return your equipment before we close.

If the MER hours unexpectedly change due to a weather or campus emergency, we will do our best to notify affected patrons by email. For summer session hours or other changes, see this page or reach out to us at equipmentroom@barnard.edu.

The MER is staffed by student employees and managed by full-time Media Center staff. Please be mindful that the equipmentroom@barnard.edu address is monitored by over a dozen part-time student staff; do not send any sensitive information to this address, only expect answers during business hours, and remember that you may correspond with multiple employees in one email thread. The equipment room manager, Eva, can be reached privately at eqjohnso@barnard.edu.

Be respectful of our staff’s time, capacity, and boundaries. Repeated or egregious mistreatment of staff may result in patron accounts being placed on temporary or permanent hold. 

Equipment is available for Barnard College & Columbia University students, faculty, and staff for academic projects and events or for personal creative projects. Reservations are created on a first-come, first-served basis.

Equipment quantities:

• Patrons can check out a maximum of 1 camera per reservation.
• Patrons can check out a maximum of 1 light kit per reservation. 
• For all other equipment, patrons can only check out a maximum of 2 of any one item per reservation.

Reserve equipment:

• DSLR cameras are available only to those patrons who have completed a DSLR training with IMATS/Media Center staff. These trainings are held once a semester as DSLR photography workshops. Email mediacenter@barnard.edu or check the Media Center’s website for information about each semester’s DSLR workshop.
• Advanced cameras are available only to students currently enrolled in our partnered Barnard film production classes (FILM3200BC, FILM3275BC, and FILM3278BC). 
• Tungsten lights are available only to students currently enrolled in our partnered Barnard film production classes (FILM3200BC, FILM3275BC, and FILM3278BC). 

Checkout periods are 3 business days including the day of checkout. (For example, equipment picked up on Monday will be due on Wednesday. Equipment picked up on Thursday or Friday will be due on Monday.) The default checkout end time is 3:00PM, but it can easily be adjusted in the portal or by our staff if this time does not work for you.

You may have only one standing reservation or checkout at a time. You must return any equipment currently checked out before you can make a reservation for your next checkout.

A single renewal of up to 3 business days may be available, contingent on demand and availability. To request a renewal, please email equipmentroom@barnard.edu before the equipment is due. Renewals cannot be guaranteed. We are unable to renew checkouts that are already past due.

For checkouts:

1. Register as an Equipment Room patron (you only have to do this once; if you registered when we were the ‘IMATS Equipment Room’ you do not need to re-register). This registration provides us with the information we need to enter you into our online system, and serves as a digital signature acknowledging responsibility for items in your care.
2. Make your reservation using our online Patron Portal.
3. Bring your ID to your pickup appointment time. You must be present at your pick up appointment; it is not possible to pick up equipment on another patron’s behalf.
4. Bring any additional cases, carts, or carrying hands that you may need. Many equipment items come in their own cases, but the equipment room does not provide carts for large equipment or bags for cables and accessories. Equipment room staff cannot leave their shift to assist you with transporting your equipment.
5. Be sure to budget at least 15 minutes for your visit. It is your responsibility to check all your equipment before you leave; double-check that you have all the cables, batteries, and bits-and-pieces that you need.

For returns:

• Be sure to transfer your data from the SD cards before you return your equipment.
• Pack your equipment neatly and safely for your return (all accessories and components in the correct case or compartment, cables unplugged and gently wrapped, light units secured snugly at the bottom of the case, etc).
• Bring your ID when you make your return, and be sure to arrive early so that your equipment can be fully returned before your checkout end time.
• Plan to remain at the equipment room window while our staff check your equipment.
• You must return your own equipment. If you are unable to return your own equipment, you can email us at equipmentroom@barnard.edu and let us know the name and UNI of the person returning your equipment for you.
• You must return your equipment in person to a MER staff member at the equipment room window during staffed hours. We do not accept items left unattended in the atrium or library, left in library drop boxes, or given to staff members from the library or other departments.
• We always welcome early returns!

The MER team will email you a confirmation when your registration is completed, when your reservation is approved, after you pick up your equipment, and after you complete your return. We may additionally email you if we have any questions about your reservation.

All reservation requests must be submitted a minimum of 24 hours in advance of your desired pickup time. We strongly recommend that patrons make their reservations five or more days in advance, because equipment is limited and the MER can only accommodate a certain number of reservations during each shift. The MER will not accept reservations that exceed our logistical/personnel capacity for each day. 

If you are more than 4 hours late to your pickup appointment, your reservation will be canceled and you will not be able to pick up the equipment. Please be sure to select a pickup appointment time that works for you, and to cancel any reservations if you no longer need the equipment.

Missing or damaged equipment will result in a hold on your account. In some cases, we will ask the patron to reimburse the college for the repair cost or replacement value. 

The MER will, whenever possible, work with a patron to resolve missing or damaged items without incurring costs on the patron. We are best able to help you with those issues when you are upfront and let us know that an item is missing or damaged. Please do not wait for the damage to cause problems for someone else; tell us right away. You can reach out to the equipment room manager, Eva, directly at eqjohnso@barnard.edu if you wish to communicate more privately.

We do have some advice for patrons to avoid losing or damaging items irreparably:

1. Please familiarize yourself with each piece of equipment, its function, and all of its components. You can find printed manuals in the equipment case or digital versions on the manufacturer’s website. The better you know the equipment, the safer it is for you (and the equipment) to use the item.
2. Please do not take MER equipment to wet, sandy, or dusty locations. (Note: some equipment models may be rated for underwater use; these ratings describe equipment only when it is factory-new with no modifications. We recommend against using any IMATS equipment in mist, rain, or underwater.)
3. Please do not take MER equipment with you on a plane, or to anywhere that you won’t be able to return.
4. Please do not leave MER equipment unattended, even for a brief period of time.
5. Please store MER equipment away from pets and children.

MER equipment may contain components that are heavy, sharp, flammable, or become dangerously hot when in use. Each patron is responsible for their own safety when using MER equipment, and we expect patrons to exercise discernment and caution when using any equipment.

We do have some advice for patrons to avoid injury:

1. Familiarize yourself with each piece of equipment. Read manuals, watch tutorials and reviews, or observe someone who is experienced using the equipment. If you do not know how to use a piece of equipment, you do not know how to use it safely.
2. Know your limits. Start small and develop skills with simpler, safer equipment (such as, camcorders rather than heavy camera units, LED lights rather than tungsten lights). Do not use equipment that you do not understand, do not overexert yourself, and do not push yourself to accomplish a task that hurts or makes you uncomfortable. 
3. Communicate with other members of your crew or group. Make others around you aware of the hazards of production equipment, and speak up if you have any questions or concerns. Be honest if you cannot undertake a task; ask for help.
4. Do not rush. Take your time so you can work safely and effectively. 
5. Wear comfortable clothing that enables you to move freely. Wear steady, close-toed shoes. Use gloves or tools to make handling equipment easier and safer.

The equipment room acquires and manages equipment according to our Inventory Development Policy. If you have questions or concerns about equipment models available at the equipment room, you can email the equipment room manager, Eva, at eqjohnso@barnard.edu.

Our policies are designed to facilitate access to free equipment for all our patrons. Please be respectful of the staff, other patrons, and the equipment that we all share. Repeated late returns, repeated late or missed pickups, and improper treatment of MER equipment or staff may result in patron accounts being placed on temporary or permanent hold.