Tablets in the library?

Q. Some of my friends and I are wondering if SFU Library can lend tablets to students. Although the laptops are available, tablets are more convenient, portable and light. We can write notes on the screen, highlight the key points with fingers, and take pictures directly. Besides, tablets do not take as much space as the laptops take. So we can put them on the narrow table and in the purse. Finally, tablets are more design friendly. Art and IAT students will appreciate them too.

A. We have no plans at this time to support tablets as checkout devices for the following reasons:

• They would have to run our full suite of software at a reasonable speed.
• They are not durable enough to survive the falls and other rough treatment that checkout devices are subject to.
• They are very hard to service.
• We don't have the tools or infrastructure to manage them in an automated fashion.

Neal Baldwin
Manager, Library Computer Operations