RE: [IUG] Laptop Check out

["Ashby,Susan" <direnzo at uakron dot edu>]

We circulate a total of 180 laptops (150 at the main library and 30 at
the Science library).

Fines are $10 an hour, with a maximum of $200.

We have a 15 minute grace period.

Loan periods are 4 hours w/ 1 renewal.

Students are charged $2,000 plus the maximum fine for lost or
non-returned laptops.

Susan



Susan Ashby 
Head, Library Systems
University Libraries 
The University of Akron 
330.972.7240 (office) 
330.972.5106 (fax) 
330.981.2711 (pager)
ashby at uakron dot edu 

-----Original Message-----
From: innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org
[mailto:innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org] On Behalf Of Becky Fulweiler
Sent: February 22, 2007 5:55 PM
To: 'IUG INNOPAC List'
Subject: RE: [IUG] Laptop Check out

We check out 50 laptops as well. We used fines ($5. per hour) for
several
years but decided it wasn't fair because students who could afford the
fine
basically ignored them and kept the laptop as long as they wanted. The
fines
go on their bursar bills and students with non-questioning parents never
had
to worry about them. Occasionally we used manual blocks for particularly
egregious offenders.

Earlier this spring semester we tried penalty points and gave them up.
They
aren't as flexible as fines, there isn't a grace period for example. The
final kicker was after we enabled editing of the "block until" field,
anyone
with permission to edit a patron record, could edit the "block until"
field.
We want to allow our student workers to edit address and phone number
information in patron records, but not to "edit" their own or their
friend's
blocks or to be pressured or cajoled by angry patrons to do it. For this
semester we are allowing students to check out a laptop until closing.
They
are not allowed to take them out of the library or overnight. We'll see
how
this works. At the moment the student's are more accepting of "there are
no
more laptops" than they were of "you are blocked from borrowing a laptop
for
a week because you brought it back 15 minutes late". The circ staff is
happier dealing with fewer irate students. It remains to be seen what
happens when crunch time starts and a student needs to write a paper and
all
the laptops are out. 

The students sign a form every time they borrow a laptop agreeing to be
charged $2,500.00 if they do not return the laptop. The form allows us
to
gather some basic information such as their school. We have loaned
laptops
for quite a few years and no one has taken one yet.


Hope this helps,

Becky


______________________________________
Becky Fulweiler
Assistant Director, Technical Services
Sawyer Library
Suffolk University
8 Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108

Phone 617 573 8541
Fax 617 573 8756 

-----Original Message-----
From: innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org
[mailto:innopac-bounces at innopacusers dot org] On Behalf Of Throgmorton,
Nason L.
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 10:27 AM
To: IUG INNOPAC List
Subject: [IUG] Laptop Check out

Greetings,

We are going to start checking out laptop computers to students. They
will be able to take the computers out of the library and we were
wondering if anyone had a policy for dealing with overdue laptops. Our
computer lab used to do this, but they did not have a circulation system
to keep track of items the way we can with Millennium. The computer
lab's policy was to revoke laptop check out privileges from four week to
forever depending on how late the laptop was returned. We are thinking
of instituting fines rather than or in conjunction with revoking check
out privileges. 

Does anyone out there check out laptops to students? If you do, could
you please share with us your policies for late returns? We would really
appreciate it.

Thank you,
Nason Throgmorton
System Librarian
Stafford Library
Columbia College
1001 Rogers Street
Columbia, MO 65216
Office 573-875-7231
Fax 573-875-7379
nlthrogmorton at ccis dot edu

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