On printing, scanning, and saving paper

Did you know we filled the library printers with 550’000 sheets of A4 paper in 2017? That’s up from 450’000 in 2016, and, well, it’s probably way too much. What can be done about this?

1. Scan, don’t copy

First of all, our five multifunction printers don’t just print or copy – they can be used to scan chapters of a book you can’t or won’t borrow from the Library.

To do this, just swipe your student card, then hit the last button on the left side of the machine. You can set the scanning format, and select your destination e-mail, which should be… the last on the list, sadly. You can also manually enter a destination e-mail if you don’t want to use your @graduateinstitute.ch address.

2. Use digital resources

We offer access to many different e-journals, and most required readings are put on Moodle by your TAs. The Library also tries to purchase digital copies of books used for your courses when possible. This means you can work from home without borrowing, copying or even scanning, simply by using a VPN.

You can of course also recommend the purchase of e-books to complement our current offer. It’s usually pretty fast (from 1 to 15 days, depending on the supplier) and easy to access.

3. Books can be put on reserve

If you really hate reading in digital form, you could ask your professor or TA to request that a book be placed “on reserve” for the semester. That way, it will be excluded from loan and will remain available at the library when you really need it.

4. Multi-page & duplex printing

When you do need to print or copy a document, you should consider fully using the paper: duplex printing (recto-verso) and multiple pages per sheet will divide your paper consumption by half or more.

5. The GISA recycling library

The GISA Environmental Committee is trying to offer a collection of previously-printed articles in the Library. If you’ve printed a required reading and don’t need it anymore, just put it in the recycling boxes at the entrance of the Library.

The EC will sort them into folders available on the seminar shelves, sorted by the main author’s last name, and you can then just pick up what you need without using your printing credit or new paper.

6. Let us know what else we can do!

We would love to know and share how to save more paper at the Library. Why don’t you comment below or send us a message with your ideas?

Illustration picture © 2018 Boris Palefroy / IHEID, all rights reserved.