Jim,<div><br></div><div>Thanks for sharing your experience at GCPL. </div><div><br></div><div>I have to say that I really think your suggestion of using off-lease units from a vendor like Systime makes very good sense. I would definitely encourage others to consider this.</div>
<div><br></div><div>The only downside (for us at Holmes) is that we are really strapped for space both on the staff side in terms of storage and on the patron side in terms of using these in-house, so we are looking at 10" netbook class computers as a possible solution to the bulk of your average 14-15"+ laptop that is used by businesses.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Thanks again.</div><div><br></div><div>Eric Maynard<br>Head of Information Technology,<br>Holmes County District Public Library<br>Millersburg, OH 44654<br>Email [<a href="mailto:emaynard@holmeslib.org">emaynard@holmeslib.org</a>]<br>
Phone [330.674.5972 x.224]<br>Fax [330.674.1938] <br><br>"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently"<br><br><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 9:45 AM, Mann, James H. <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:JMann@gcpl.lib.oh.us">JMann@gcpl.lib.oh.us</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Eric</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">GCPL does not use any security device on the laptops. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Several years ago we started with a bag, a Kensington cable,
etc. but found that it was more efficient for both staff and patron to just
hand them the laptop, power supply and mouse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Remember that a lot of these early laptop circulation procedures
were based on how laptops were circulated in academic libraries and on
campuses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">To be clear we “circulate” the laptops on a 2-hour
loan rule with 15-minute overdue fees and we require patrons to sign a laptop
agreement which states the cost of the laptop, power supply and the fine
structure. We also require minors to have their parents sign the laptop
agreement in front of staff.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">We do not circulate laptops to “guests” so our
information on a patron is as good as it is in the circ system.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">After more than 4 years of circulating laptops we have never had
one stolen (although every once in awhile we’ll get a scare when Unique
flags a patron who has been sent to collection for a $1,500 balance).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">What we do see is minor damage to keyboards and power supplies
which while they can add up are just the cost of doing business.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">IMHO a good strategy is to purchase good off lease or grey box
laptops with a nice warranty for around $300, factor in one major repair like
to the power supply jack and maybe a minor repair to swap a keyboard and be
prepared to decommission them after 2 years. This is what we circulate:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"><a href="http://www.systime.com/Dell_Latitude_D600_1_6_GHz_Notebook_Refurbished_p/n-del-d600-16cmb512wf40xpp.htm" target="_blank">http://www.systime.com/Dell_Latitude_D600_1_6_GHz_Notebook_Refurbished_p/n-del-d600-16cmb512wf40xpp.htm</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">HTH</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">Jim Mann</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">Technology Coordinator</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">Greene County Public Library</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">76 E. Market St.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">Xenia Ohio 45385</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">(</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red">937)352-4000 x1210</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">mailto: <a href="mailto:jmann@gcpl.lib.oh.us" target="_blank">jmann@gcpl.lib.oh.us</a></span><span style="color:#1F497D"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">"If everything seems under control, you're just not going
fast enough." - Mario Andretti.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">
<a href="mailto:oplintech-bounces@oplin.org" target="_blank">oplintech-bounces@oplin.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:oplintech-bounces@oplin.org" target="_blank">oplintech-bounces@oplin.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Eric Maynard<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 15, 2009 10:08 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Oplintech@Oplin.Org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [OPLINTECH] Lo-Jack for Laptops</span></p>
</div><div><div></div><div class="h5">
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Curious if anyone has any experience
with institutions (libraries especially) that have used any kind of
lo-jack software to act as deterrents to the theft of loanable
laptops? </p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trying to weigh in all the pros and cons of NOT securing the
laptops we intend to circulate in house versus just relying on photo IDs as a
"deposit" of sorts. Thoughts anyone?</p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">thanks,</p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><br clear="all">
Eric Maynard<br>
Head of Information Technology,<br>
Holmes County District Public Library<br>
Millersburg, OH 44654<br>
Email [<a href="mailto:emaynard@holmeslib.org" target="_blank">emaynard@holmeslib.org</a>]<br>
Phone [330.674.5972 x.224]<br>
Fax [330.674.1938] <br>
<br>
"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently"<br>
<br>
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