Nancy wrote --

Every time. Every time!

And one is reduced to merely nodding one's head... and maybe an
unintelligble mumble.... ;)

I asked a waitress I knew at this one place who said, with a smile, it
was so the customer wouldn't ask for anything having her make another trip, or to complain about something.
She then added it was a trick the old timers taught them early. :)
Makes sense to me.

20 years ago, some classes/degrees were mostly online already... Library

Science, which was morphing into Information Services at the time, could be done online almost entirely, should one wish to...

Marshall has lots of their special collections online.
Someone wanting an obscure book, paper, photo, etc now has it at their fingertips.
They started out scanning all the old yearbooks, then moved to this and
that.
A lot of public documents at the court house are online. Some counties
in the state offer it free, others charge a fee.
I recall seeing a video several years ago where a machine would scan a
page, turn it, scan another over and over and a thick book could be done in short order.
I enjoy visiting archive.org every now and then for some free out of
print book then read on my tablet.
I understand the new (well, around 1998) library on campus is mostly all digital now. A lot of stuff is available with just the student ID, as if
they were physically checking the book out.
The local public library does the same, using ones library card.
The e-book is not downloaded, but accessed "live".
The trouble I've had with checking out books is being able to finish
reading within the check out time without having to renew.
With an e-book I have that off line I can take as long as I want to read
it since I "own" it. And store it on a CD.

Marshall has free (well, paid for somewhere in fees I'm sure)
tablets for all students,

If what they are doing is trying to standardize what the kids are using, that

does make sense... In times past, the student would have to
purchase it,

Marshall has a semi-annual yard sale where all sorts of things are sold
that have been replaced. (My heavy computer desk with hutch as bought there for like $15 from some office, I have a old student desk from a dorm, a
swing lamp for another office, etc).
They will also offer used electronics for sale, which are generally
worthless since been worked to death.
One year they had boxes of new Ipads that were never used for some
reason. Still sealed from the factory. They were to be given to students. I didn't buy one, since I already had a tablet.
The items are on display in a warehouse with a silent auction.
One time I bid and won a laptop. There is no way to check to see if the electronic items even work. Mine had some problem that was more costly to repair then the $45 I paid for it and cost to repair would be equal to buying
a new one. That was a door sto

Even back when I was in college, certain exams were always open book

I never recall any open book tests.
Not saying there weren't anyway, but after nearly 50 years I may not
recall everything from those days. Some of that time is lost in a drunken haze.
LOL
Joe
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.FIDOSYSOP.ORG (1:123/140)