Gabriel Plaine
From: Gabriel R. Plaine
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 09:55 AM
To: Gabriel R. Plaine
Subject: How to use IPads in the Library
iPad procedures and policies
We started with two 16 GB Wi-Fi iPads. The iPads are in Apple cases, labeled with the library’s contact information, and checked out in a small laptop sleeve that has a front pocket for the power cord and a microfiber screen cloth.
One computer in our staff area is the central hub for the iPads. We used iTunes Gift Cards to create an iTunes account for the library. We set up one iPad with apps, Web site bookmarks, home screen shortcuts, and other content. Then we resynced this iPad to iTunes, which created a backup we could use to populate the second iPad. Since then, Apple has introduced an App Volume Purchase Program to facilitate app purchasing for institutions.
We also use this backup to restore each iPad after it has been checked out. Device backups can be managed from within iTunes by going to Preferences, the Devices tab, and selecting backups to delete. We only keep the most recent backup so that our student helpers know exactly which one to choose when an iPad is returned at night.
We decided the best way to protect the library and the patron was to use some of the restrictions available in the iPad’s general settings. We turned off the ability to download new apps or make any iTunes Store or App Store purchases on the iPad. We also sign out of the library iTunes account before checking out the iPads. This prevents the library’s iTunes account from being used by patrons, and it prevents patrons from logging into their own iTunes account to purchase apps, since these apps would just be wiped out on the iPad’s return. We do ask our patrons for app suggestions and have fulfilled those requests when possible.
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Staff at Briar Cliff University organized the apps into folders, and gave each folder a name with a number indicating how many apps are inside. The library’s home page is a bookmark on the iPad’s dock bar. Visit this article online for detailed images.
We use a reservation system rather than a first-come-first-serve or waiting list approach. This allows faculty to reserve an iPad in advance for conferences, and it allows students to plan around their schedules. Since we already had a laptop loaning program in place that allowed laptops to be taken out of the building, we made the same policy for the iPads. We set our late fee at $15 an hour and the lost fee at $700. For the initial pilot project, we set the loan periods at 24 hours for faculty and staff, and four hours for students. This semester, our iPads will check out to students for two days instead of four hours. We hope the longer loan period will make it easier for students to get comfortable with the device and experiment with more of the apps.
When an iPad is returned, we use the “Erase all content and settings” option in the iPad’s Settings menu to wipe out any files, logins, or browsing history left behind by the patron. We then restore the iPad with the backup in iTunes which resets the device back to our settings.
Gabriel Plaine
Public Access Computing Coordinator
Cornell University
Albert R. Mann Library
Ithaca, NY 14853-4301
Voice: 607-255-7158
E-mail: grp44@cornell.edu