Library laptop lending update

Requests to book laptopsSome locations have received requests to book laptops, mostly made by members of faculty and part-time lecturers. Please explain that the library lends laptops on a first-come, first-served basis, and refer them back to their faculty or department for their laptop needs. ICS has confirmed to me that regular members of faculty are covered by the academic laptop programme, and all faculties as well as Continuing Education have been given additional floater laptops for use by sessional lecturers or faculty members who are not covered under the academic laptop programme. It’s possible that the persons making the request are not aware of this.

Requests for additional equipment or technical advice to be provided with laptopsThe library lends only what is in the laptop bag. ICS provides technical support for the laptops. Please advise borrowers to speak with the ICS Help Desk if they have requests for additional equipment such as power bars or a monitors, or require technical advice or set-up of equipment.

You may give my name and number to anyone who is not satisfied with your explanations, or who insists on a booking a laptop. We are occasionally allowing a small number of laptops to be set aside for events such as training sessions, but this would be an exception which should be approved by me.


This message will be saved in the laptop lending information folder in U:Common\Library-ITSOC\1-Laptop Lending.

Thank you to library staff at HSSL, Law, Music, Macdonald, Management and Schulich for making this valuable service work as well as it has so far. Questions? Call Louise.

Louise O'Neill
Associate Director
Library Technology Services
McGill University Library
3459 McTavish Street
Montreal, QC, H3A 1Y1
514-398-5898

Classroom A/V Support

For all librarians who give presentations in classrooms on campus, here is a useful announcement from ICS:

Classroom A/V Instructions is a new tool that allows faculty and staff to identify and get instructions for audiovisual equipment in McGill classrooms and meeting rooms. You can find the link to on myMcGill, under the IT Tools tab.

To use it, sign in to myMcGill, click on IT Tools, click on Classroom A/V Instructions (left side of the screen). Select the appropriate building and room. You can view images and details of each piece of audiovisual equipment present, along with operating instructions for its use.

(The announcement is posted here:
http://www.mcgill.ca/channels/announcements/item/?item_id=101382).


Megan

IST Customer Service Fall 2008 Hours

After hour and week-end support will resume stating this week-end.

Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
*** For support, call ICS Service Desk at extension 3398 or email support.ist@mcgill.ca.

Monday to Friday from 5:00pm - 8:00pm.
*** For support, call 514-609-2700 or page 514-540-4881.

Saturday and Sunday, from 12:00pm - 5:00pm.
*** For support, call 514-609-2700 or page 514-540-4881.


Thanks,

Ante Rokov
IST Customer Services

Office 2007 compatibility

Library users who save a file in an Office 2007 format can open the item with earlier versions of the software by installing the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en.

Laptop lending at HSSL

Library users can now borrow laptops at the HSSL Loans desk. Here is the full announcement:

http://www.mcgill.ca/library-using/computers/

Students and staff can borrow a laptop for up to two days.

The laptops feature the same software that is installed on the public computers found in the Library and many also include MATLAB. They are also be equipped with software that erases everything that the user has saved or done the moment they logoff, except for files the user chooses to save on the D: drive.

Laptops can be borrowed from:

• Howard Ross Management
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Macdonald Campus
• Marvin Duchow Music
• Nahum Gelber Law
• Schulich Science and Engineering

Users can also save files on USB drives or burn them to CD. An icon which when clicked offers instructions on how to connect to the P: drive are available on the desktop. Instructions on how to access the wireless network is provided right on the laptop screen.

Some library branches have been lending laptops for some time prior to this initiative, often with specialized software installed for students within a specific discipline. At this time, there is no change to current borrowing practices for those laptops.

See our borrowers' guides for students and staff for information on borrowing period, renewals, fines.

---

And a message from Louise O'Neill:

"Requests to book laptops

Some locations have received requests to book laptops, mostly made by members of faculty and part-time lecturers. Please explain that the library lends laptops on a first-come, first-served basis, and refer them back to their faculty or department for their laptop needs. ICS has confirmed to me that regular members of faculty are covered by the academic laptop programme, and all faculties as well as Continuing Education have been given additional floater laptops for use by sessional lecturers or faculty members who are not covered under the academic laptop programme. It’s possible that the persons making the request are not aware of this.

Requests for additional equipment or technical advice to be provided with laptops

The library lends only what is in the laptop bag. ICS provides technical support for the laptops. Please advise borrowers to speak with the ICS Help Desk if they have requests for additional equipment such as power bars or a monitors, or require technical advice or set-up of equipment.

You may give my name and number to anyone who is not satisfied with your explanations, or who insists on a booking a laptop. We are occasionally allowing a small number of laptops to be set aside for events such as training sessions, but this would be an exception which should be approved by me.

This message will be saved in the laptop lending information folder in U:Common\Library-ITSOC\1-Laptop Lending.

Thank you to library staff at HSSL, Law, Music, Macdonald, Management and Schulich for making this valuable service work as well as it has so far. Questions? Call Louise."