Friday, September 7, 2012

The Loan-ly iPads

Are you curious to see what all this iPad fuss is about before committing to buy one of your own? Or are you an experienced iPad user who just needs temporary access to a device? Either way, the Duke Law School's new iPad Loaner program may be able to help. Duke Law students can check out iPads and selected accessories from the Academic Technologies Help Desk.

Why is this potentially useful? According to Digital Initiatives Librarian Hollie White, "There are many reasons to check out an iPad. On an iPad, notes can be taken, either by hand or using the keypad. Being very portable, iPads can also be used to store important documents using cloud applications. Four of Duke Law’s classrooms and the Digital Initiatives Lab have Apple TVs, which can be used with an iPad to project relevant content in meetings or with a study group."

The loaner iPads come pre-loaded with a set of standard productivity, video, and legal research apps, such as Pages, Skype, Kindle, HeinOnline and WestlawNext. Borrowers may also sync their personal iTunes account in order to download additional apps during the loan period; the devices are wiped before their next loan.

Accessory options include HDMI adaptors, VGA adaptors, camera connectors, and a case with a built-in keyboard. Accessory loans must be requested separately (but can also be requested even if you are not checking out an iPad).

If you would like to borrow an iPad, here are some important procedures to remember:
  • Bring your DukeCard to the Academic Technologies Help Desk.
  • iPads can only be checked out and returned between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
  • Once you receive the iPad from the Help Desk, turn it on and ensure it works before leaving the desk.
  • When returning the iPad to the Help Desk, be sure to include the power cord and all other accessories.
  • Law students can borrow an iPad for up to four days (including weekends). iPads can be renewed if there is no waitlist, but the renewal process must happen in person at the Help Desk.
For questions about the Law School’s iPad Loaner Program, contact the Academic Technologies Help Desk. For assistance with locating iPad user guides in the Law Library collection, such as iPad in One Hour for Lawyers, or with accessing sources for law-related apps, be sure to Ask a Librarian.

If you are a Duke student outside of the Law School who is interested in borrowing an iPad, consult The Link, which has a limited number of iPads available for loan to University students on a first-come, first-served basis.