Bill Garrison, the dean of USF Libraries, sees the drones as potential participants not just in conversations about the future of surveillance, but also about the future of libraries. "One of the things many libraries have struggled with," he explains, "is how do you become a real part of the campus and not be viewed as a book warehouse. I find it very exciting that we are able to do this, and I think the students will appreciate it."

The dean also sees the potential for the drones to serve other aspects of campus life. "We have a global sustainability program," he notes, "and they are mapping out the campus to see energy usage, so they can use the drones to help map out the campus."

Garrison, in all this, is hinting at a broader shift: USF's new program is yet another step in a process that has been, in retrospect, both long and quick: the cultural normalization of drones. The university is treating drones not as exotic machines—flying robots! gee whiz!—but rather as one more tool in the digital arsenal available to a university community. It is treating them as ... banal. "There are a lot of opportunities for research and learning by using drones," Garrison says. "And the faculty can use it, too."

Via CNN and Drudge

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