[OPLINTECH] Lending/Circulating Laptops for Public Access

Thu Jun 14 14:10:08 EDT 2007

If laptops were to be circulated to patrons to use outside of the
library I would invest in nice durable cases, find a vendor that would
sell the best warranty, something that would cover accidental breakage
and battery replacement, and purchase a cheaper laptop. 

Another option would be to try to find a good deal on a lot of used
laptops and set them up to circulate. The plus side to this is the cost
would be less if a patron lost one, or never returns one. The downside
would be expecting the batteries to not hold much of a charge.

-- 
Ed Liddle <eliddle at marysvillelib.org>
Marysville Public Library

On Thu, 2007-06-14 at 13:47 -0400, Chauncey Montgomery wrote:
> Instead of allowing patrons to take the laptops home, could you just
> restrict their usage to anywhere within the library?  That way you would
> have a little more control over the equipment, but still be able to provide
> public computer access without designating a specific area within the
> library.
> 
> Chauncey G. Montgomery, MLIS
> Director/Clerk-Treasurer
> Community Library
> 44 Burrer Dr
> Sunbury, OH 43074
> 740-965-3901 ext. 102
> montgoc1 at oplin.org
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oplintech-bounces at oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at oplin.org]On
> Behalf Of JKENZIG
> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 1:39 PM
> To: Chad Neeper; oplintech at oplin.org
> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Lending/Circulating Laptops for Public Access
> 
> 
> The tablets are WebDT and they were very durable, they had rubber
> protection around them. We've only had a few issues with the actual
> durability of them, mostly from staff not storing them correctly or
> attempting to repair something on them themselves. We have only had one
> that the screen got broke on from being knocked off a table.
> 
>  If I was going to circulate laptops I would definitely look at
> something like the Panasonic Toughbooks which are more expensive but
> VERY durable.
> 
> I still think you would want to make sure that the system has
> appropriate virus protection and even with a product like deepfreeze
> there needs to be some sort of schedule or ability to run Windows
> Updates on the system not to mention the ability to add desired plugins
> the patron might need.  You are basically still managing a full blown PC
> and have all the costs and manpower involved with doing so.  Maxspeed
> makes a wireless Windows XP embedded laptop that also may be of use.
> 
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oplintech-bounces at oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at oplin.org]
> On Behalf Of Chad Neeper
> Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 12:26 PM
> To: oplintech at oplin.org
> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Lending/Circulating Laptops for Public Access
> 
> Jim,
> 
> How durable did you find the tablets in the hands of the patron? In
> general, I would expect shorter than normal hardware lifespans...
> 
> -----------------------
> Chad Neeper
> Senior Systems Engineer
> 
> Level 9 Networks
> 740-548-8070 (voice)
> 866-214-6607 (fax)
> 
> --   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
> -- Specialized in libraries and schools --
> 
> 
> 
> JKENZIG wrote:
> > Wow,
> > I have heard of libraries allowing patrons to have laptops to use
> > within their libraries but haven't yet come across one actually
> > letting patrons take them home. We have had wireless web tablets at
> > several of our branches for a few years left on tables so patrons
> > could pick them up and use them around the library. We had a lot of
> > issues with these in having to create a space/power for charging them,
> 
> > patrons leaving them lying around with inappropriate content left on
> > them, and having to come up with a way to reset them to default after
> a patron is done with them.
> > We have since decided that the web tablets will only have our web
> > catalog available.
> >
> >  At very best you would need to have a product like Deepfreeze by
> > Faronics on them that reset the laptop back to your vanilla
> > configuration when it was returned. Further you would need to have
> > control over all the accessories that go with the laptop to the patron
> 
> > as well as a large area for storing and charging the units between
> > loans. It can get quite expensive to manage and time consuming for
> > staff also having to check them over every return cycle. It is a large
> 
> > undertaking.
> >
> > Jim Kenzig
> > Network Manager
> > Cuyahoga County Public Library
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: oplintech-bounces at oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at oplin.org]
> > On Behalf Of Maria Wilburn
> > Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 10:40 AM
> > To: oplintech at oplin.org
> > Subject: [OPLINTECH] Lending/Circulating Laptops for Public Access
> >
> > We a mid-size rural public library in an old Carnegie Public Library
> > Building. We are about to start a remodeling project at our library
> > and our Architect in his original presentation mentioned that "a lot
> > of libraries are now lending laptops to patrons. These laptops can be
> > used anywhere and you don't have to allocate in library space for
> > them." This translated in to our board believing that lending laptops
> > was a done deal. And that was what we're going to do.
> >
> > I now have several questions for all of those libraries in Ohio that
> > are circulating laptops or have considered doing so.
> >
> >
> > Let me know why decided to lend or decided not to lend laptops?
> >
> > Can you tell me your success or failure stories? Need pros & cons for
> > this subject.
> >
> > If you are lending: Who are you? Can we come and visit?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > --
> > Maria Wilburn-Technology Coordinator
> > Carnegie Public Library
> > 127 S North St.
> > Washington CH, OH 43160
> >
> > (740) 335-2540 voice
> > (740) 335-8409 Fax
> > wilburma at oplin.org
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > OPLINTECH mailing list
> > OPLINTECH at oplin.org
> > http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
> > _______________________________________________
> > OPLINTECH mailing list
> > OPLINTECH at oplin.org
> > http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
> >
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> OPLINTECH mailing list
> OPLINTECH at oplin.org
> http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> OPLINTECH mailing list
> OPLINTECH at oplin.org
> http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
> 