Checking out laptops

[Dan Lester]

Here is the reply I sent to the original requester a few hours ago:

In my opinion, as one who leads support of about 160 library computers, 60 
of them for the public, don't even think of it.  Our campus Office of 
Information Technology (i.e. campus computer center) checks out laptops to 
faculty and staff only.  Each time one comes back it takes 30 - 60 minutes 
to clean up, clean out, re-install, delete garbage, etc, etc, from the 
previous user to get it ready for the next one.  They also have to check 
that all functions still work.  It is pretty easy to tell if a book has 
been damaged when it is returned, but not nearly so easy on a laptop.  They 
run some software on their network that facilitates this, but it is still a 
big hassle.  Also, those are checked out usually for a week at a time for 
someone going to a conference....not just for a short period.

There are a ton of other problems that come to mind, but this should be a 
start.  We'd not consider it here in the library.  We have enough fun 
keeping all the other machines, which are VERY tightly restricted by 
security software, up at all times.

cheers

dan

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Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716-7115 USA 208-383-0165
dan at 84.com   http://www.84.com/  http://www.idaholibraries.org/
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