[SEO-Members] [OPLINLIST] Laptop lending policies

Tue Dec 7 10:00:15 EST 2021

The Chromebook configuration CJ Stephens describes is the same as what we are using for our small collection of circulating kits with hotspots. I think this is a great setup for off-site devices, and it's easy to provision additional Chromebooks once the setup is established. Be aware that knowledgeable patrons will place holds on these kits just for the hotspots, so if it's important that patrons needing the Chromebook have access, consider a circ policy that prevents parallel holds on hotspots and bundles, or at least disallow checkout of both at the same time. (We had originally looked for Chromebooks with internal SIM slots, but those are rare these days.)

In my opinion, non-persistent Linux user profiles are useful for kiosks and J/YA educational stations, but I think most of our borrowers would struggle with a device like that. I might consider on-site laptops or tablets for internet and catalog access in the building, but for those I would either use Hublet devices or, for a homebrewed solution, Porteus OS with additional restrictions for session duration. 

Matthew Kinsey

IT Coordinator

Guernsey County District Public Library

---- On Tue, 07 Dec 2021 09:31:09 -0500 CJ Stephens <cstephens at crcpl.org> wrote ----

***Following up on James’ information about our Chromebook lending program.***

We currently have 36 Chromebooks that we lend out to the public. From the technical side of things we registered our domain with Google and use the Google Admin
 Center to manage our Chromebooks, once the devices are provisioned and enrolled under our domain we have the ability to disable the device remotely which then makes the device unable to be used until we re-enable the unit. Once this is done and the Chromebook
 connects to the internet they receive a message telling them to return the device or they will be charged for the replacement of the device. This also renders the device useless to them as they cannot even use it in Guest Mode.

Using the Google Admin Center we are able to prevent the device from being ‘Powerwashed’ (formatted) and force re-enrollment if they attempt to wipe the device
 in any way because the serial number of the device is registered with our domain.

Lastly, the devices are managed by our department so we were able to have SEO setup custom reports that sends us an email each time we have a hold for a device
 so that we know which of our locations the Chromebook needs to be sent to for pickup and another that tells us when an item goes lost so that we can disable the device remotely.

If you have any other questions about our process feel free to contact me and I’ll be glad to provide further information.

Thanks,

CJ Stephens

Information Technology Manager

Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library

(740)702-4116 | mailto:cstephens at crcpl.org

http://www.crcpl.org/

From: OPLINLIST <mailto:oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org> On Behalf Of Chris Kincaid via OPLINLIST
 Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 5:06 PM
 To: Suzanne Weber <mailto:sweber at lakewoodpubliclibrary.org>; Penny Neubauer <mailto:pneubauer at acdl.info>
 Cc: mailto:seo-circ at lists.oplin.org; mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org; mailto:seo-members at lists.oplin.org
 Subject: Re: [OPLINLIST] Laptop lending policies

Linux allows you to set up guest sessions that do not save any information and reverts it to its template upon logout. You can use another profile as its template. This keeps staff
 from needing to do more than restart the machine after each in-library use. The template and the Linux Admin need strong passwords! See http://dashohoxha.fs.al/linux-guest-account/ for steps on how to set this up. Note: it only works with lightdm window manager.

If you are using a Chromebook that's tethered to a hotspot, you should be able to lock the Chromebook remotely after a certain checkout period as long as it is connected to the
 Internet. Unfortunately, it's easy enough to reimage the device if the patron knows their stuff. I've had hotspots even return with strange software flashed on them!

I hope this helps,

Chris Kincaid
 Assistant Director
 Newcomerstown Public Library
740.498.8228
 mailto:ckincaid at nctlib.org

From: OPLINLIST <mailto:oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org>
 on behalf of Penny Neubauer via OPLINLIST <mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>
 Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 12:58 PM
 To: Suzanne Weber <mailto:sweber at lakewoodpubliclibrary.org>
 Cc: mailto:seo-circ at lists.oplin.org <mailto:seo-circ at lists.oplin.org>; mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org <mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>; mailto:seo-members at lists.oplin.org <mailto:seo-members at lists.oplin.org>
 Subject: Re: [OPLINLIST] Laptop lending policies

This is something we have considered on numerous occasions. Our biggest concern is, what incentive is there to return them?  We can't get folks to return hotspots -- how in the world would
 we get them to return something like a laptop or chrome book? What am I missing?

Penny 

Penny Neubauer | Director
 Ashtabula County District Library
 4335 Park Ave, Ashtabula, OH 44004
 440.990.2322 (office) 
 http://www.acdl.info 
Ashtabula Branch 440.997.9341 | Geneva Branch 440.466.4521
 Gather, Read, Discover, Transform

 ACDL: Creating Community, Changing Lives! 

On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 12:50 PM Suzanne Weber via OPLINLIST <mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org> wrote:

Hi Heather! 

It's great that you got funding for this.

We've been loaning out Chromebooks for over a year now.

We have 12 total that patrons can check out and use in the library.

At this point there is no limit on how long they can have it checked out for.

We average about 400 checkouts per month.

Once the Chromebook is returned, a staff member sanitizes it and then does a "powerwash" to reset it back to factory settings so that no personal information is kept from the previous user.

I hope this helps!

Suzanne

I hope this helps.

On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 9:00 AM Heather Patten via OPLINLIST <mailto:oplinlist at lists.oplin.org> wrote:

Good morning,

Our library received funding through the ECF to provide laptop lending. If you provide this program, please share your policies and procedures. Any advice or guidance (tips or problems you have
 encountered with laptop lending) would be greatly appreciated. 

--

Best Regards

Heather Patten, Assistant Director

Brown County Public Library

Mt. Orab Library-Manager

613 S. High St.
 Mt. Orab, OH 

45154

937-444-1414

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--
Suzanne Weber

Manager, Public Services

Lakewood Public Library

15425 Detroit Avenue

Lakewood, Ohio 44107

(216) 226-8275,  ext. 117

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