Latest Apple device available for use in library

By Jonathan McFadden

mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Junior photography major Aimee Harman surfs the Web on the library’s new iPad. Harman, who works at the circulation desk, said not many students have asked to check out the device yet. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@mytjnow.comWith the flick of a finger, Jennifer Davis can watch her favorite TV shows, receive the latest Facebook updates and get her daily news fix.

Davis, junior human nutrition major, keeps her class notes and syllabi on her Apple-manufactured iPad.

“I use it as my laptop, basically,” Davis said. 

Instead of lugging around a heavy, bulky and burdensome laptop, Davis makes use of the iPad, which she can just slip into her purse.

The iPad makes all of Davis’ multi-tasking needs possible, and now one is available in Dacus Library for students to use.

Dacus received the iPad toward the end of December last year from a grant awarded through the Winthrop Foundation, said Mark Herring, dean of library services.

The library’s iPad made its debut and became available to students last month.

Herring said the library is always looking for different ways to deliver information.

 “iPads seem to be one of the ways they’ll be doing that,” Herring said.

Aimee Harman is not so sure. 

The junior photography major works at the library’s circulation desk and said she hasn’t seen many students waiting in line to use the iPad. In fact, the only person who asked her about it was her own boyfriend, Aaron May.

May, junior entrepreneurial business major, checked out the iPad once it was made available. 

He returned it about 20 minutes later.

Without the ability to download free, basic applications, May said he feels that some of the benefits of an iPad have been lost.

Coupled with the fact that students cannot check it out of the library, May and Harman both agreed using the iPad would be equivalent to using one of the library’s laptops or computers.

“If you’re in the library and have to stay in the library, just bring your laptop,” May said.

Harman echoed May’s feelings.

“I think it’s a waste,” she said. “We already have Kindles; people don’t really check out those very often and the integrity of the iPad is lost in the fact that you can’t download apps or do anything else on it except read and use the Internet.” 

Not allowing students to download apps they want prevents heavy clutter on the iPad, Herring said.

“We would end up with so many apps on the iPad in a matter of days, we wouldn’t be able to lend it [out] anymore,” Herring said.

Buying the hardware means buying the content delivery system behind it, Herring  said. 

Students can’t download as many apps as they want to the library’s iPad, but they can go to the Apple apps store online and download the Kindle app.

The library’s iPad features all standard applications that come with the Kindle as well as the iPad’s web-based feature.

User feedback may encourage the library to add more apps in the future.

“If we get enough people asking for the same application then we’ll go ahead and add that,” Herring said. 

Still, May suggests the library spend money buying scholarly apps for the iPad instead of purchasing e-books for the Kindle.

Harman thinks the library should spend more money on providing better laptops. 

Herring feels differently.

Almost two years ago, the library began examining information delivery using different platforms, Herring said.

One of Herring’s recommendations was to teach a class in which all class information, such as textbooks, would be delivered on the Amazon Kindle, a portable e-book reader.

Thus, an experiment was born.

Several semesters ago, Herring taught a human experience class in which all 22 students received their assigned readings via the Kindle.

Weighing just a couple of ounces, Herring hypothesized that students would be able to easily carry their textbooks for all four years of their college career, as well as save space and money.

He was half right.

“They [Herring’s students] had various opinions about the way information being delivered that way turned out,” Herring said. 

Now, 20 Kindle DX’s and two regular Kindles are available for student use in the library.

In the past, Dacus has tried various other alternative devices to offer students information quickly.

The library currently has The Sony PRS, the Entourage Edge and the iRex Illiad available for use.

In a society where devices by Apple are taking the world by storm, staff at the library realized that something with more accessibility, features and convenience was in order.

“And it was pretty clear early on that, for example, the iReaders alone didn’t serve much of a purpose because they could only do one thing,” Herring said.

Students can check out the iPad from the circulation desk for three hours and must sign a document outlining their personal and financial responsibilities in terms of damage, said Nancy White, the head of circulation at the library.

If a student happens to damage the iPad while it’s in their care, they will have to pay $500, White said.