Laptops For Checkout

Laptops for checkout. But we just spent thousands on all these desktop computers for the public, and now they want laptops! What can you do on a laptop that you can’t do on a regular PC. Well, several things. Patrons can’t install their own software on your desktop computers, but with the right setup, you can give patrons free reign on your checkout laptops. Also, laptops are great for group work. Five or six students can reserve one of your meeting rooms and take a laptop in there to work together on a project. Finally, laptops are mobile, allowing patrons to move around among your different departments and collections. If you’ve run out of space and can’t provide any more stationary computers for the public to use, laptops might be the way to go.

This section of the Cookbook lays out some tips and recommendations for those libraries that are planning to implement a laptop checkout program. The primary focus here is in checkout laptop safeguards, as well as laptop and filtering considerations.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED:

. Laptop Security

. Laptop Maintenance

. Buying Your Laptops

. Do You Need to Filter Your Checkout Laptops.

. Check Out This Real, Working Laptop Checkout Program

64 THE JOY OF COMPUTING – RECIPES FOR A 5-STAR LIBRARY

Laptop Security.

So … what about laptop security. What’s to keep someone from checking out a laptop and walking away, never to be heard from again. What if a patron drops it.

Here are some actions you can take to secure your laptop:

. Picture ID — Hold their driver’s license or another photo ID until they return thelaptop.

. A checkout form — Ask your patrons to sign a form indicating that they won’t take the laptop out of the library and what their responsibility is should they damage it

somehow.

. Accidental damage protection — For an extra charge, most hardware companies will repair or replace your laptop should it get damaged.

. Serial numbers — Engrave the serial number into the laptop and then keep track of those numbers.

. RFID or security tags — Tag the laptops in several places

. TattleTape — Put some “tattle tape” or “tamper strips” over the security tag, over the hard drive bay, over the battery such as dell Inspiron 500m battery, dell Inspiron 510m battery, dell Inspiron 600m battery, dell Latitude D500 battery, dell Latitude D505 battery, dell Latitude D510 battery, dell Latitude D520 battery, dell Latitude D600 battery, dell Latitude D610 battery, dell 312-0068 battery, dell 6Y270 battery, dell 1X793 battery and dell C1295 battery, over the memory bay and elsewhere, so you don’t get a laptop back and find out later that it’s missing a key component.

. “LoJack for laptops” —LoJack is a product that tracks your computer. When a laptop with this product is lost or stolen, it begins to “dial home” every time it’s connected to the Internet. Computrace, who makes the product, will alert the police and provide them with the information they need to recover the laptop. To see if this product will work with your systems, go to:

http://www.itsbattery.com.

. Your staff — Make sure that staff at the front desk know what to check for when the patron returns the laptop. They should look for all the major pieces before returning the patron’s photo ID.

Security Tags as a Safeguard Notes from

a Chef “All the systems are security engraved in numerous places, and all serial numbers are kept in

our database. To stop them from walking out of the door, I have placed visible and not so visible security tags on them that will trigger the alarm system when they are taken out of the

building. We do not allow patrons to take them outside. The laptop bags also have two or three security tags in them, so if someone does try to steal one, they would have to find at least six or

seven tags to get over all the security!”

Terry Caudle Madisonville Public Library, TN THE JOY OF COMPUTING – RECIPES FOR A 5-STAR LIBRARY 65 No Insecurities About Security

Notes from a Chef

“We are very lucky here; this is the kind of place where people don’t lock their houses or their cars, and so security is not an issue here. We do check them out to people. If they have a

library card, we check them out to them; if they don’t, we still let them use them, but they give us their driver’s license or something — we hold onto it. And we have never had one walk out the door, and we would all be flabbergasted if it happened here.”

Laura Tretter

San Juan Island Library, WA

The Lowdown on LoJack Notes from a Chef“Among other things, I was told by several excellent sources to get LoJack for Computers, sold by many computer vendors (Computrace is its real name). I guarantee it will seem affordable the first time they recover a ,000 laptop! The ‘we can’t afford it’ line doesn’t wash with me —

when I worked to develop a laptop checkout program, I struck a couple of the laptops from the plan in order to afford things like Computrace, a locking case, extra cords, etc.”

Portable USB Laptop Speakers

But there are plenty of well-engineered portable speaker systems on the market today. They draw power from the computer through USB cables, but they are so energy-efficient they can be used on battery power for extended periods. Theyre tiny two inches in diameter or less so they fit into a notebook case. Most importantly, the best portable speakers are rugged, with metal cases and protective grilles over the speaker membranes.

Amenities to look for in portable speakers include volume and playlist controls, which allow you to select songs and adjust the sound without typing or clicking with a mouse. A single cable running from USB port and through both speakers is simpler and less liable to tangle than a pair. Mini-jacks for MP3 players, an iPhone, and other sound sources are built into some speaker systems.

Remote-control speakers are available for adjusting sound and selecting tracks during presentations.

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Here are a few USB-powered portable speaker systems that I think are good choices:

* Logitech V20 Notebook Speakers are lightweight, USB-powered, and offer spectacular sound reproduction, especially in the bass and high ranges. One nice feature: you can change tracks or adjust the volume right from your speakers. Street price: $69.

* Creative Labs N400 portable notebook speakers come with X-Fi technology that promises to enhance your MP3s, and turn music and movies into immersive surround sound. The N400 has a single USB cable for both power and audio, built-in control buttons, and a compact travel case. Street price: $69.

* The Altec Lansing iML237 USB ORBIT is billed as ultraportable,. But the ORBIT delivers surprisingly big sound from a small form factor. The round design provides a 360-degree sound field, making it good for parties. Street price: $49.

* HP USB Mini Speakers are small, compact and offer great sound for the price. On the downside, they lack onboard controls, and require you to fiddle with three color-coded cables for setup. A nice set of travel speakers, and I found them on Amazon for only $24.

In addition to those listed above, other portable speaker manufacturers include Pioneer, Sony, Tritton, Yamaha, the Edirol division of Roland, Alesis, and many others. The best place to buy portable speakers depends on your budget and tastes. If youre going to buy anything under $80, shop around online to find the best deal. If youre a true audiophile, youll want something in the higher end. In that case, specialty audio stores will have the widest variety of high-end portable speakers for you to sample before buying.