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A variety of factors, most significantly Covid safety protocols will demand a number of changes for the Spring 2021 semester at PPECS. All of these measures are being done with the safety of both our patrons and staff in mind. Please review and become familiar with the changes below as some are significant from traditional procedures.
Hours of Operation: PPECS will be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM. We will not be open for business on Wednesdays which will be set aside for staff to inspect equipment and prepare orders. PPECS will also be closed on weekends. These reduced hours are due to elevated safety protocols and procedures.
Separate Checkout and Return Days: In order to maintain proper social distancing and smooth throughfare of both patrons and equipment, checkouts and returns will be handled on separate days. All checkouts will need to be scheduled between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM on Thursdays and Fridays. All returns will need to be scheduled between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays.
No Walk-Ins: Everything at PPECS this semester will require a reservation of at least 72 hours. All reservations will be made on the Patron Portal as there will no longer be a Scheduling Desk located inside PPECS. Since no walk-ins will be allowed, planning ahead will be critical for everyone. Please double check your orders in advance to make sure you are including all necessary equipment when the reservation is made. Moving to a fully reservation-based system allows PPECS to build all orders in advance of patron arrival, so that a checkout should be a quick and efficient process allowing for distancing.
Making Your Reservation
How to Use Patron Portal: As always, equipment access will be granted via enrollment in specific courses. You will only see the specific items you have access to when logged into the patron portal.
https://ithaca-cloud.webcheckout.net/sso/patron#!/
or by accessing this QR CODE using your smartphone.
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Sign in with your netpass username and password.
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Select the proper checkout center. PPECS (Park 113) for standard PPECS equipment, PPECSPRO for advanced cameras, lighting and audio gear, and MCR 159 (Fixed Facilities) for edit suites, labs and room reservations. Some patrons may also see Equipment Testing for booking authorized advanced equipment workshops/certifications
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Please read the “message of the day” which will provide guidelines and pickup procedures then click close
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Select the type you wish to reserve. For standard PPECS equipment this will be “Portable Equipment: Reserve Only These Resources”
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Next navigate to and select the subtype you would like i.e. “microphones”, “video cameras”, “lighting”, etc.
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Then navigate to and select the item you are looking for i.e. “Sony PXW-Z150 Camcorder”, “omni kit”, etc.
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Next select a specific numbered item and click add to cart
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Repeat the process for all needed items. (note: non-reservable Items, i.e. sandbags, extension cords, xlr cables, cannot be requested in this step)
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Click on the blue button with white “shopping cart” in the upper right hand corner
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Now you will select a start date and time and end date and time for your reservation
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You are required to enter a class title which the order will be used for
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You are also required to check that you have read the terms and conditions of financial responsibility
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Add non-reservable items to your order using the “Note to Checkout Center” field.
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At the bottom of this box you may find a red note saying “this reservation has errors”. If this is the case, adjust all errors before advancing. This may indicate checkout or return on inappropriate days, a reservation which exceeds the time limit, or that some items are not available. You may need to change your dates/times of pickup or return, or switch to a different number of the unavailable item. Please read the errors carefully and adjust
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Once errors are corrected, click submit reservation
How long are can I reserve equipment for?: Reservations will be long weekend based. Checkouts made on a Thursday or Friday will need to be returned the following Monday or Tuesday. Policies for some equipment types may vary.
NEW Procedure For Checkouts and Returns
What to do Upon Arrival?: Proper masks covering both the mouth and nose must be worn at all times both within PPECS and the remainder of the Roy H. Park building. To ensure proper traffic flow and safety, please follow signage and use assigned entrances and exits accordingly, as outlined below:
Thursdays and Friday Checkouts: You will enter PPECS via the large center door marked “entrance only” to the floor marked “wait here” in front of the partition. You will then announce yourself to a staff member who will instruct you to proceed to your right and follow signage to the next “wait here” marker. There you will receive your cart of equipment and exit through the right doorway marked “exit only”. Once you have emptied your cart, it will be returned to the door all the way to the left marked as “cart return”.
Mondays and Tuesday Returns: You will enter through the large doorway at the left of PPECS again marked as “cart return”. Advance to the “wait here” floor signage and announce yourself to a member of our staff. Please do not leave until a staff member has acknowledged receipt of your return. While you will no longer wait inside PPECS while your equipment is inspected, you cannot simply drop off your cart unannounced and walk away.
No Grace Period: It is critical that you arrive on-time for BOTH your scheduled pick-up AND scheduled return. For social distancing purposes, reservations will be purposefully made in a staggered fashion to eliminate cross traffic of students and equipment.
What’s Next?: Returned equipment will be marked as received upon arrival. It will be fully inspected as well as cleaned and/or quarantined after your departure from PPECS. You will no longer wait on site while the equipment is inspected. If anything is found to be broken or missing from your order, your account will be placed on hold and you will be notified via email on file.
Pro Equipment: Pro equipment will now be booked via the Patron Portal. Follow the instructions above for login and select the PPPECS Pro checkout center
Thank you for your understanding of these changes and adherence to the newly imposed safety policies. We look forward to serving the Park Community this semester.