The Boston Data Lab is a teaching and research computing space located on the 5th floor of the Hirsh Health Sciences Library (HHSL) in the Tufts Center for Medical Education Building (MEB).
We are a hub for GIS and data science research and a space where the Tufts community can receive methodological and technological support for a ride range of data intensive applications including but not limited to GIS, statistics, data science, data visualization, and digital humanities. Learn more about our full suite of services and support, Data Lab Assistants, or software in the Data Lab.
Additionally, the Boston Data Lab has a walk-up IT support desk to help with various software and hardware requests.
Reserve the Instructional Classrooms: Faculty and staff may request to reserve the classrooms for semester long courses or one time classroom use, workshops, exams, and events. See below for more information or to view the classroom calendar.
About the Spaces
The Boston Data Lab is located on the 5th floor of the Hirsh Health Sciences Library and contains a few spaces, including a public computing lab, two computing classrooms, and a number of group study rooms.
Public Computing Data Lab
The Public Computing Data Lab is dedicated to individual and collaborative work and computers are available on a first come, first serve basis. The Data Lab is staffed by student Lab Assistants who are available for walk-in support. Advanced data consultations are available by appointment.
The instructional classroom is equipped with:
- 15 seated computer stations running Windows 11 desktops with 24″ LCD monitors.
- 3 standing workstations running Windows 11 desktops with 24″ LCD monitors
- 2 standing desk stations for personal laptop use or study space
- 10 computer pods for single person study space
- Multiple soft seating stations and study tables for group or individual use
- JumboPrint “Pay-for-Print” color and black and white Laser Printing
- Scanning Station with 2 small bed scanners
Walk-Up IT Support Desk (TTS)
The TTS walk-up IT support desk is in the Boston Data Lab and available to help with the following:
- Software installation, assistance and software discounts (including operating system installation and configuration)
- Smartphone and mobile device configuration (including assistance with e-mail configuration)
- Hardware Troubleshooting and Installation (e.g. memory upgrades, hard drive failure)
- Connecting to Tufts Wireless and device security and best practices
- Consultation for hardware purchases and hardware discounts
- Assistance with printing and scanning
- Virus, adware, and spyware removal consultation
- Assistance with Tufts Accounts & Tufts Email
- Tufts storage recommendations (tufts.box.com)
The TTS walk-up IT support desk is open Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Instructional Computing Classrooms
The Boston Data Lab has two computing classrooms, room 514 (The Big Lab) and room 510 (the Little Lab), located near the Public Computing space. Faculty and staff may request to reserve the classrooms for semester long courses or one time classroom use, workshops, exams, and events. See below for more information or to view the classroom calendar.
Reserve a Classroom
The instructional computing classrooms may be reserved by faculty, staff or Tufts Medical Center employees for semester classes, one-time classroom use, and workshops. Reservations are managed by HHSL staff. To reserve one of the instructional classrooms, follow the reservation process by visiting the Tufts Space and Resource Reservation System. For more information, view instructions for how to check the availability of the instructional computer classrooms. The computers in the classrooms are available for use by Tufts’ students, faculty and staff when not being used for classes or workshops.
The Big Lab – HHSL 514
- 25 student desktops running Windows 11 with 24″ LCD monitors.
- An instructor’s podium with a networked Windows 11 desktop, a rotating monitor, and various multimedia connections
- An overhead projector and large projector screen.
- Two additional large format monitors mirrored on both sides of the main projector.
- Mounted camera with microphone and built in WebEx/recording capabilities.
- TA stand up desk with Windows 11 computer.
- Large white board
The Little Lab – HHSL 510
- 12 student desktops running Windows 10 with 24″ LCD monitors
- An instructor’s podium a networked Windows 10 desktop, a rotating monitor, and various multimedia connections
- A large format monitor for teaching/presentations.
- White Board
Group Study & Collaboration Rooms
There are several Group study/collaboration rooms that need to be reserved using ReserveTufts.
- Conferencing Room (MEB 513) – 60′ monitor with phone line. Students may book the conferencing room on the Hirsh Library Student Conferencing Room page.
- MEB 502: Seats up to 15, SHARP interactive whiteboard, whiteboard, monitor
- MEB 504: Seats up to 14, projector, whiteboard-no monitor
- MEB 508: Seats 8, whiteboard, screen with HDMI & VGA, 60” monitor
- MEB 509: Seats 8, whiteboard, screen with HDMI & VGA, 60” monitor
- MEB 521: Seats 10, whiteboard, screen with HDMI & VGA, 60” monitor
- MEB 522: Seats 12, whiteboard, screen with HDMI & VGA, 60” monitor
- MEB 524: Seats 12, whiteboard, screen with HDMI & VGA, 60” monitor
Location & Hours
Hirsh Health Sciences Library (HHSL), 5th Floor
Tufts Center for Medical Education, 145 Harrison Ave. | Boston, MA, 02111
Boston Data Lab Support Phone: (617) 636-0452
Support Email: DataLab-support@elist.tufts.edu
The Boston Data Lab holds the same hours as the Hirsh Health Sciences Library.
The public computing lab is open at all times the library is open. The student Lab Assistant calendar is below.