The Laptop has Left the Building: Serving Your Students with 24-hour Laptop Checkouts

Abstract

Even though computer ownership in the United States has steadily increased over the last 10 years, many college students still do not have access to a computer at home. And because a lot of coursework requires using licensed computer applications, these students are limited to using computers only during the hours that campus facilities – including the library - are open. A library laptop checkout program is a great way to meet those needs. Several years ago, our library began offering laptops for two-hour checkouts and in-library use only, but circulation was minimal due to our status as a “commuter” campus (i.e. no housing facilities and an older student population). A switch to allowing 24-hour checkouts saw our circulation statistics explode. This poster session will detail how we pulled it off, what worked and what didn’t and what you might expect from allowing laptops to leave the building.