A new pilot program from UAB Libraries in partnership with UAB IT will enable students who require laptops for coursework to apply for a semester-long loaner device at no cost to them.
Originally purchased in 2020 to meet tech needs during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dell Latitude 5510 devices now are put to a new purpose: Enabling student success by eliminating financial barriers and providing access to essential resources, said Patricia West, assistant dean for Public Services.
“Our mission in UAB Libraries is to provide resources that students need to be successful,” West said. “This program helps us build on how we already do that — like through providing research support or dedicated study spaces — and gives us the opportunity to provide for a unique need our students have that could negatively impact their performance in the classroom.”
Applications for the program will be accepted beginning midnight Aug. 25 through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 1. Fifty recipients will be selected via a lottery system and can pick up their laptops during orientation sessions 4 p.m. Sept. 11 or 9 a.m. Sept. 12 in Sterne Library.
See device specifications, associated fines for loss or damage, and FAQs online.
More ways to borrow tech from UAB Libraries
UAB Libraries also provides short-term laptop loans in both Sterne and Lister Hill libraries.
Anyone with a current ONE Card can check out Macbooks and additional Dell Latitude devices for a four-hour period on a first-come, first-served basis from self-service kiosks located near the HUB Desks in both libraries.
Additionally, UAB Libraries’ has a robust collection of circulating technology available for checkout from the Sterne and Lister Hill HUB Desks, the LibLab @ Sterne, and the LibLab @ Lister Hill, including laptops available for seven-day loan periods. See the full collection online.