Shawna Sadler
Associate University Librarian, Digital Library and Research Technologies
University of Calgary
Kristin Antelman
Associate Director for the Digital Library
North Carolina State University
Loaning basic equipment and technology has become a common service in libraries, and remains popular. But what does it mean to move from lending laptops to lending a mobile media cart or Google Glass? How can the equipment lending concept–and organizational capacity–be extended to loanable technology that supports creation, research dissemination and student engagement? This session will explore how two libraries have developed new services around this opportunity. Each presenter will share case studies and lessons learned.
The University of Calgary supports a mobile pool of loanable AV/IT equipment and furniture that is supported by staff who are handy with tools. Because of these resources, the library is able to evolve its role supporting the creation and dissemination of local research for our campus community.
North Carolina State University Libraries has adopted a slightly different model, with a technology lending program aimed at supporting student needs, ranging from productivity to media creation to research. Equipment is managed in four tiers: commodity, specialized, beta, and in-library mobile. Each tier has its own profile for what and how much is procured, policies and service model, and how learning about the equipment’s use is fed back into the service and is used to promote our community’s understanding of the evolving identity of the library.
Presentation (Sadler)
Presentation (Antelman)