Introducing technology to LRC's
You might think technology would spell the end of books and libraries in schools and colleges. But many have found creative answers, developing spaces that allow children to put technology to imaginative use as well as to read.
Many libraries in school and colleges are now known as Learning Resource Centres (LRC) and offer a wealth of resources and facilities such as reference books, fiction and non-fiction, quiet areas to work and the option to borrow a laptop or similar device. With schools and colleges looking to use maximise their optimum space in the LRC, staff are working to explore new technology advancements for storing, charging and dispensing laptops to students throughout the day and night.
Simon Chlopas, Learning Resources Manager for Easton and Otley College saw the potential to improve the facilities within their own LRC and explains why they needed to move over to automation to dispense them. “We had piloted a laptop loan scheme for students over the previous academic year. We had six laptops that could be issued from our library desk manually. This service was extremely labour intensive. The devices were stored and plugged in on a couple of shelves behind the LRC desk - it was very cumbersome and took up a lot of space. Managing the laptops was taking up a lot of my team’s time. So, transferring to an automated system with the LapSafe® Diplomat™LMS was the best way forward for us, it is straight forward, so easy to use and It has opened up new ways of learning for lots of our students”.
The Diplomat™ range offers the ‘best of breed’ when it comes to innovative self-service lockers allowing users to borrow a device 24 x 7 x 365 without staff interaction. It is a sophisticated, intelligent, multi-bay loan locker system which securely stores, charges and loans laptops, Chromebooks, Microsoft Surface and tablets. There are of course schools or colleges that will not require the full functionality of the award-winning Diplomat™ LMS, which is why LapSafe® have developed and are introducing the new Diplomat™LMS LITE at the UK’s biggest education show BETT 2018.
The Diplomat™LITE will offer similar functionality to the Diplomat™LMS offering a balance of specification versus price point and is specifically designed with secondary schools, sixth forms and colleges in mind. The LITE versions include a smaller touch screen on both the laptop and the tablet versions, and to make the best use of space available the LITE terminal includes 8 integrated locker bays. A maximum of seven additional twelve bay towers can be added to the original terminal, giving
A maximum of 92 bays per installation. There is no limit to the number of terminals being used at any one site. The full Diplomat™ range will be on display on LapSafe® stand E130 at the Bett show or can be viewed via the LapSafe® website lapsafe.com
Exhibiting now since the year 2000, LapSafe® have launched a new product, or product enhancement to their range every year since. Feedback from customers and visitors at the show is always paramount when new products are designed. The Bett show taking place from 24th – 27th January 2018 at ExCel, London is the perfect opportunity for educators and exhibitors alike to meet up, share ideas and learn.
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