The Unified Technology Support (UTS) and University Libraries are combining student laptop checkout services, which means that all laptops available for students to loan can be checked out from the Educational Resources desk on Bracken Library’s lower level.
UTS transferred 17 ThinkPad Netbooks, 10 MacBooks, 11 HP Laptops and two ThinkPad laptops to University Libraries in Bracken Library room 001, where they will be available to check out for 48 hours.
This is the largest difference from the old system, in which the laptops from UTS could be checked out for two weeks while other students would be put on a waiting list.
All of the laptops are expected to have software updates and be ready for distribution next week.
“Obviously the goal is to allow students to experiment with technology and get it into as many hands as we can,” said Dan Lutz, director of UTS.
Lutz said the shorter checkout time makes sense because there has always been a demand for laptops, but they were not commonly used to replace a person’s technology, rather they would just be used temporarily.
The change creates a faster turn around for students and allows for more efficiency on the human resources side, so there is only one place technology is distributed.
“We are now just within a couple of feet [of] each other. It hopefully will become more convenient.” said Suzanne Rice, assistant dean of Public Services for University Libraries. “Most of [the laptops] are just here long enough to clean, get recharged and then they are back out again. I am expecting we will be busier since we will have more to circulate.”
University libraries will continue to have its 11 PC and 19 Mac laptops available for six-hour checkouts.
