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Facilities And Equipment > Laptop Lending

Laptop Lending

Who can borrow a laptop?

All York University currently registered students, faculty, and staff who are library users in good standing (i.e., no outstanding fines or liabilities over $25.00) may borrow a laptop.

How many laptops are available and what kind are they?

Currently there are twenty (20) laptops that may be borrowed from Scott Library Circulation, four (4) laptops from the Peter F. Bronfman Business Library, twelve (12) laptops from the Steacie Science & Engineering Library and one (1) laptop from Frost Library.

The laptop computers are Dell Latitude – model D400 with 512 MB memory.

When, where & for how long can I borrow a laptop?

Laptops are available on a first come first served basis: it is not possible to reserve them (you cannot place a hold on them). You can, however, check availability by searching for the title “Laptop computer” in the catalogue.

Laptops may be borrowed for up to three (3) hours at a time.

Renewals: laptops may be borrowed again by a patron, if there is another one available. If there are no other laptops available, the patron will have to return the laptop they have used, and wait thirty (30) minutes after its return to sign it (or another laptop) out again.

You may not take the laptop you borrowed out of the library in which you borrowed it.

The laptop must be returned in person to the circulation desk.

The laptop is due 30 minutes prior to the library closing time, even if your three-hour loan period will not have expired by then.

What’s available on the laptops?

Software:

  • Mozilla Firefox v5.0,
  • MS Internet Explorer v6.0,
  • MS Office XP Professional (including Word2003, Excel2003, PowerPoint2003,

    Access2003, FrontPage2003, Publisher2003, InfoPath2003).
  • SciFinder Scholar
  • Magnifier

The browsers cannot be re-configured by users.

Patrons must use YorkNet and login to AcadLab. Any file copied or downloaded to hard drive will be automatically removed and cannot be recovered after reboot / restart. Patrons can save and retrieve files from their AcadLab home drive (My Document) location.

No personal software may be installed onto the borrowed laptops.

What are my responsibilities?

As a registered laptop borrower you are responsible for following the guidelines outlined here, for complying with the terms and conditions to which you agreed when borrowing the laptop, and for respecting any relevant Libraries and University policies and regulations.

You must return the laptop and any peripherals on time (and in good condition) or accrue the Reserves fine rate of $3.00 per hour/or any part thereof to a maximum of $100.00 per day.

Who is responsible for theft or damage?

As borrower of a laptop, you will be responsible for any damage to the laptop or for its theft. For your own security, please DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LEAVE A LAPTOP UNATTENDED. You are responsible for the full repair or replacement cost of up to $1,800 for the laptop checked out to you, and the replacement cost for damage to peripheral equipment, which will be the cost of replacement, plus associated service fees .

What exactly happens when I borrow a laptop?

  • When you come to the circulation desk to borrow a laptop, you will be asked to provide a library card. For York students, your YU-card is your library card. The circulation attendant will scan your library card, and see if you have been registered to use laptops, and if it is still current. If it is, they will sign out a laptop to you (with peripherals). If it isn’t, you will be required to sign a “Laptop Computer Liability Agreement and Registration Form.” This agreement will be kept on file, and they will enter a note in your library account stating that you can sign out laptops, so that you will only be asked to fill in the form once per year.
  • Laptops can only be checked out by current York students, faculty, and staff in good standing with York University Libraries (i.e. no outstanding fines totalling more than $25.00). York students must present their YU-card, no exceptions. Faculty and staff, in the absence of a YU-card, may present a current library card and an additional piece of photo ID (e.g., a driver’s license or HEALTH card – photo ID), no exceptions. [see: Laptop Computer Liability Agreement and Registration Form]
  • Once you have completed and signed our “Laptop Computer – User Registration Form”, we will sign out the laptop to you.
  • If you wish to sign out either a CD-RW Drive or a Floppy Drive, you must let the circulation attendant know. These are signed out separately.
    1. If you sign out the CD-RW Drive, you must also sign out a D-Bay, which plugs into the laptop. The CD-RW Drive plugs into the D-Bay. Please ask for help if you are unsure how to do this.
    2. If you sign out the Floppy Drive, you must also sign out a D-Bay, which plugs into the laptop. The Floppy Drive plugs into the D-Bay. Please ask for help if you are unsure how to do this.
  • Before the end of your loan period, you must return the items that you have signed out to the circulation desk in person. The staff there will ensure that all components have been returned, and that they are intact.
  • If everything is intact, the laptop will be checked in through the library circulation system.
  • If the laptop or its peripherals are damaged, or if parts are missing, your library borrowing privileges will be suspended and you will be charged for the repair or replacement of the laptop plus associated service fees.
  • If the laptop is not returned, sanctions will be applied in accordance with the Libraries Laptop Computer Loans Policy: your library borrowing privileges will be suspended, you will be charged for the full replacement cost of the laptop ($2,650), and you will be subject to the York University policy on payment of tuition and other fees.

What do I get when I borrow a laptop?

  • Each laptop is equipped with: a Dell Latitude Laptop Computer; a Power Cord; an AC Adapter; a Battery; a Carrying Case. If you wish, you can request a Manual.
  • Microsoft Windows XP is the operating system.
  • If you wish to sign out either a CD-RW Drive or a Floppy Drive, you must let the circulation attendant know. These are signed out separately.

How do I sign on?

There are three options for signing on. When the laptop turns on, it runs through a booting process, and then eventually a sign-on screen appears, with three options. You click on the option you want. The three options relate to what you want to have access to when using the laptop:

  1. no sign-on required: allows access to Microsoft Word. No access to the Internet. No printing to the Print Station.
  2. Passport York sign-on: allows access to Microsoft Word. Allows access to the Internet (including library databases); No printing.
  3. Passport York sign-on, and then AcadLab sign-on: allows access to Microsoft Word. Allows access to the Internet (including library databases); Allows printing to the Print Station.

Where’s the mouse?

Computer mice will not be distributed with the laptops; instead, borrowers are expected to have some skill in using a track point or a touch pad.

Can I plug in the laptop?

The laptops will be charged out together with a power cord. Borrowers are encouraged to use the power cord as the Libraries will not guarantee that there is any power in the battery at time of lending. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PLUG IN A LAPTOP WITH YOUR OWN POWER ADAPTER, AS THIS WILL DAMAGE THE BATTERY AND THE LAPTOP.

How do I print files?

Laptops borrowed from the Libraries (as apposed to personal laptops) are able to print to the network printers in the Libraries (if one has signed on with this option). The specific steps involved in printing a document will vary depending on what program you are using. All print jobs will automatically be sent to the network printer located in the library in which you borrowed your laptop. Printing costs $0.09 per page for black and white; $0.25 per page for colour. Please note that a double-sided copy counts as two pages. Please use the same card that is used for library photocopiers – currently this is a “library photocopy card”, but in the future this may become the YU-card.

How do I save files?

  • You will be able to save data onto a writable CD (assuming you have signed out the CD-RW Drive and D-Bay).
  • You could also save data onto a floppy disk (assuming you have signed out the Floppy Drive and D-Bay).
  • Note: Scott Library has a vending machine where you can purchase writable CDs, and the other libraries sell writable CDs at the circulation desk (with the exception of Steacie Science and Engineering Library).
  • As well, you will be able to save to your FAS account.
  • Another possibility would be to use a USB flash drive that you could attach to the laptop’s USB port.
  • All files saved to the laptop hard drive will be lost upon rebooting of the computer. The library is not responsible for any lost data files.

What if I need help?

You are expected to be self-directed in your use of the laptops. It is assumed that you will be familiar with the MS Windows platform and with the MS Office suite. For assistance with these products, please consult the help facilities built into them. You might also find assistance online at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?LN=EN-CA&x=9&y=12

Hardware problems should be directed to circulation desk staff who will contact Library Computing Services if needed. Assistance with the use of online library databases and resources is available at the reference desk in each library.

Can I bring in my own laptop to access the Internet in the library?

You may use your own laptop to sign on to the York wireless network (AirYork) to access the Internet or you may plug into a hard-wired network connector in the Library (YorkNet). In either case, you will need the appropriate network card in your computer.

In order to access the York wireless network with your laptop you must follow the Air York instructions at http://www.yorku.ca/ccsweb/airyork/. To use an ethernet (wired) network connection, please refer to:

Please note that you will not be able to send print jobs to the Libraries’ network printers when using your own laptop. You might instead save your work to a diskette, CD, USB memory key, drive or stick, or to an AcadLabs account and print from a library AcadLabs computer.