After more than 50 years, the Printing Services department will close on Feb. 24 as a result of rising costs. The University will rely instead on off-site, third party groups for stationary, business cards, class materials and all other print goods.
The decision was announced by Glenn Bieler, Vice President for Communications, earlier this month and the print shop, which is currently located in the Wyman Park Building stopped accepting jobs on Friday.
"More and more of that work is being done electronically these days," Glenn Simmons, Director of Printing Services, said. "Print and digital media are working together. The small run printing that most universities need is being done with digital equipment, basically high-end digital copiers."
When the print shop opened in 1954 communication technology was obviously very different. A once reliable business model, many institutions are now moving away from in-house printing because it is expensive and complicated to keep up with evolving industry standards and trends.
To prepare for the transition administrators have created a list of preferred vendors that will have Hopkins specific templates and instructions.
The change makes economic sense and some students are even relieved that their classes now distribute things like lab manuals for home printing.
"I don't mind printing it out by myself. I don't think it costs $15 to print it out on your own," sophomore Marissa Jarosi??ski said of her chemistry lab manual. Many students agreed that class materials formerly produced and sold by Printing Services we actually cheaper to print at home or even in the library.
Community members were quick to note the drawbacks of the new arrangement, though.
"This place is terribly reluctant to change all across the University. I do think people are going to miss all the value added," Simmons said. "Convenience, services, you're no longer going to be able to deal with University employees. They're very loyal, hardworking people up there who lost their jobs. It's very unfortunate."
