It’s a tale as old as MySpace: You’re walking to class when you pull your phone out to check the time. Instead being greeted by a photo of you and your best friend on spring break, you see a blank screen. You’d ask someone for a charger, but the odds are it won’t fit your phone.

That might not be much of a problem anymore.

The University of Oregon libraries purchased 12 new charging stations this fall in hopes of preventing situations like that. With all the types of technology available today students are coming to campus with various devices that require various chargers.

Sara Brownmiller, director of library systems, noticed this and began looking for ways to provide students with a way to charge up.

While at a conference for the American Library Association, Brownmiller passed an exhibit with charging stations and found a solution. After tracking down the manufacturer and getting quotes for how much they would cost, Brownmiller drafted a proposal and presented it to the dean of the library.

The purchase was funded by the Proctor Endowment Fund. The estate of Eleanor C. Proctor has donated to the library for many years in honor of “a commitment of learning and preservation of knowledge,” said Grants Pass attorney James Dole at the Knight Library’s 75th birthday last spring. A check for $500,000 was presented to the library on behalf of Proctors’ son, Peter P. Proctor III. This is an unrestricted fund and can be used for anything the dean of the library deems useful. Each charging station cost $849, which includes a two-year warranty.

KwikBoost, located in Dallas, Texas, provides customizable charging stations with eight cables that have the ability to charge most devices and can be customized with individualized graphics and logos.

There are two charging stations in the Knight Library and one in each branch library: math, science, law, architecture and allied arts and the Global Scholars Hall library. Another two were installed in the Klamath and McKenzie computer labs. One was sent to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology on the coast and two went to the Portland campus.

The School of Journalism and Communication purchased five, Information Services purchased one for the technology desk and the Yamada Language lab purchased another.

So far students have welcomed the new stations. Shauni Allen, a senior broadcast journalism major, noticed the stations in the journalism school the first day of classes and found them convenient and up to date.

“I think every building should have one,” Allen said, “and it is nice that they have it for several different devices.”

While these stations will help students around campus, students need to be responsible for their own devices — there’s no way to secure a device as it’s charging. The Knight Library placed the stations near chairs so students can sit and read or do homework while their devices charge.

“Students depend increasingly on mobile devices for study, work and life in general,” Karen Munro, head of Portland Library and Learning Commons said. “We see the mobile device charging station as a way to acknowledge that reality and support our students. Having a free, handy way to charge a variety of devices just makes life easier so students can concentrate on more important things  like schoolwork.”