Mark,

We check out laptop computers for students to use for two hours (they can re-new if needed longer). They can save anything they want to their jump drive, student email account or cloud but whatever they save to the laptop will be gone when the computer is booted the next time. The checkout volume has slowed somewhat since most students have their own laptops. We haven’t had any problems with loss as we have them sign an agreement that is held on file basically saying they are responsible for any damage. A record of the transaction is put in their online library record.

We don’t have any e-readers.

We have a bunch of netbooks that are used only for classroom instruction in the library. They are not checked out to students and we use them when we want the class to actually follow along or have time to do research during class. Personally I don’t like using a netbook because everything is too small, keyboard, screen, everything. Guess I’m getting too old. Haven’t had any problems with the netbooks technically but we keep a pretty close eye on them. Same restrictions on saving files applies to the netbooks, they can save to jump drive, or some other storage account but anything saved on the netbook will be lost.

Hope this helps.

Roger Davis

Serials Librarian

Kent State University at Stark

6000 Frank Ave. NW

Canton, Ohio

http://local2.stark.kent.edu/Library/Bindings/

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Mark Ferguson
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 1:20 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] e-readers and netbook lending programs

Dear serials listers:

I know this is a little off topic, but have any of you had any experience with lending e-readers and netbooks to patrons at your library? We are currently looking into this kind of program and  I thought it would be a good idea to get some feedback from other academic libraries that have provided its patrons with these kinds of resources.  

Here are a some of questions that come to mind.

Do you allow students borrowing netbooks and e-readers to take them outside the library, or is their usage restricted to purely in-library use?

Is the loaner program for e-readers and netbooks popular with students?  Is this equipment circulating?

What do you require of the students borrowing such equipment (ID card, signature, deposit . . .?) 

Are students able to print or save documents found or created on this digital equipment to some kind of external location, or is their primary means of keeping documents either found or created to send them to their email accounts?

Is this equipment ever used in a classroom setting ( I am thinking in particular of netbooks which may allow for a kind of small computer lab experience)?

How has the equipment held up through these loaner programs? Has the library experienced any problems with theft or equipment abuse?

Any other issues we should consider?


Let me know what you think.  I have always found the response from this listserv valuable.

Thanks,

Mark Ferguson, Serials librarian, College of Saint Elizabeth