The unknown wonders of BRACU: Digital Scholarship Lab
Most of us have passed by it at least once: the small alley lurking suspiciously beside the unused gate on the second floor of our library. At first glance, it looks almost like a place we are not meant to go. Reserved for library staff or, at best, some hyper-specific use irrelevant to the average student. But if you have ever been curious enough to brave ahead, you would know this could not be further from the truth.
As it stands, the Digital Scholarship Lab is one of the best-kept secrets in BRAC University. Looking for a place on campus to get some research done? You wouldn’t find a better spot than the training lab. With research materials close at hand, you will forgo your need to shuffle a hundred tabs and actually do the work you came to do. Besides research, as Somaiya Akter (Sophomore, BBA) noted, the lab remains “High and above any computer lab on campus.” Due to its relative ambiguity, it stays emptier than you would expect, a startling contrast to the quality of its facilities: cosy seats, quiet atmosphere, and well-equipped computers seldom found elsewhere on campus. You might, at the right time, even stumble into one of the various workshops held. These vary from teaching how to cite research to leveraging AI for your studies. Part of BRACU’s efforts ever since opening the doors to this campus has been a pledge to offer different avenues for learning. This has been another step in that direction.
Another wonder is the media room, just across. The Gen-ed course that you took, since it had no final exams, instead asked for a podcast, and try as you might, you cannot find a good enough place on campus to record something that sounds just right. This is precisely the use of the podcast equipment in the media room. It offers full noise isolation and zero unwanted background clutter.
For researchers and faculty, there is also the 3D printing lab down the hall, serving as further proof of BRACU’s commitment to bolstering the research environment.
Ultimately, the Digital Scholarship Lab is a good reminder that not every facility is found at first sight. Some lurk right around the corner, waiting to be put to use.
