Owen Library staff members offer weekly iPad tablet and Dell laptop rentals that some students may not know much about.

Library Director Eve Wider said that the tablets and laptops are usually rented often, but that staff members are always looking for more ways to advertise.

She said that staff members are also considering adding more to the supply.

“We (library staff) are trying to investigate how to get more (iPad and Dell laptops),” Wider said.

Junior Kristina Ashenfelter said she has never rented before, but she’s heard about it.

“They (rentals) were advertised on the screens in the library for brief amounts of time,” she said.

Sophomore Bryan Crawford said he has heard about the rentals, but doesn’t know much about them.

“I think I just saw the poster that’s up in the library,” he said.

He said advertisements in Krebs Hall and Biddle Hall could help improve advertising.

Junior Ashley Grego said she first found out about the iPad and laptop rentals when she saw other students renting them.

Renting is easy with a Pitt ID, Grego said.

She said she has rented a laptop multiple times throughout the past two semesters, and it was convenient.

“For those students like me who have bigger laptops, it’s sometimes easier to just rent one (laptop) for the week and enjoy using it,” she said.

“Plus, the laptops have really good battery life.”

Grego said that she thinks the iPad and computer rentals could be advertised more.

“UPJ should do more to market them, like listing the benefits of renting or maybe even student testimonials.”

Grego added that she’d definitely recommend it to other students.

Wider said students are appreciative of the rentals.

She said the iPads are useful for students who have a project or class assignment that requires a certain app.

According to Wider, it’s also convenient because students can take them anywhere, unlike the library computers.

“Students like being able to take them back to their dorms.”

Senior Victoria Snyder, who has rented a laptop before, said that she found out about the rental service from some of her professors.

Snyder said that when she went to the library employees to ask for more information, they were more than willing to answer her questions.

Signing out a computer was similar to signing out a library book, Snyder said.

“I would and have recommended the service to other students. It is a huge help when personal computers stop working, when owning a computer is not possible and when professors need assignments completed on Apple products,” Snyder said.

Snyder said that she thinks this service should be advertised more with fliers in common areas around campus.

“I believe that the professors are the best way to let students know about this opportunity and so far they are doing a fantastic job,” Snyder said.