NTU enhances laptop loaning with D-Tech SMART lockers

"Front-facing and behind-the-scenes library colleagues were pretty quickly convinced that the decision we’d made to upgrade to breakthrough technology was the right one."

Dr. Richard Cross, Head of Discovery and Digital Futures within Libraries and Learning Resources at Nottingham Trent University

Richard-Cross-LLR-Nottingham-Trent-Univeristy-NTU

The Challenge - Upgrading Laptop Loans for University Students

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has a long history of providing self-service laptop loans to students, a service that is highly valued and widely used. So, when a laptop locker at their Clifton library site needed replacing, the library team were keen to upgrade to a solution that would help them evolve this service and keep in step with rising student expectations.

The Solution - D-Tech's SMART Charge Lockers

NTU upgraded to one of D-Tech’s SMART lockers, an all-in-one self-service solution for libraries, combining laptop loaning with other collection and drop-off self-service options, all whilst automating and streamlining the lending process.

Dr. Richard Cross, Head of Discovery and Digital Futures within Libraries and Learning Resources (LLR) at NTU, explained the decision: “In LLR, we have a track record of being ‘early adopters’ of emerging technologies, and we were quickly convinced that, rather than replace like-for-like, we should upgrade to the new D-Tech SMART locker.”

The SMART lockers are much easier to manage and operate than the previous system. This convenience and flexibility were key factors in the decision to upgrade. Dr. Cross said: “The logic of D-Tech’s development path is compelling. Rather than locker units hard-wired to a single self-issue transaction, the new flexible model of the multi-purpose SMART locker is much more responsive and future proofed.”

The Results - Students really like using the SMART locker

The implementation of the SMART lockers has been well-received by both students and staff. Dr. Cross explained: “Students in our Clifton library really like using the new SMART locker. We’ve had some great feedback about the attractive aesthetic of the unit, and the intuitive experience of the loan and return transactions. Some of our students were so keen to start loaning laptops from the locker, that they walked up and placed their smartcard against the reader even as we were stocking and setting up the unit!”

Moreover, the loan statistics of the new lockers show consistent levels of usage in the months since the installation.

The library team also adapted quickly to the new system, despite some initial teething problems. Dr. Cross highlighted the enthusiasm of those involved: “Both front-facing and behind-the-scenes library colleagues were pretty quickly convinced that the decision we’d made to upgrade to breakthrough technology was the right one. We’re not the kind of library service that’s over-cautious by inclination, and our teams enjoy the challenge of implementing new things.”

The Future - Exploring issue, collect and drop-off self-service options

Looking ahead, NTU plans to expand the use of SMART lockers to other campus libraries and explore additional functionalities beyond laptop lending. Dr. Cross concluded: “Our confidence in D-Tech is reflected in the fact that we’ve steadily increased our laptop locker inventory to add more units at more sites, in response to student demand – and in response to the requests of our teaching academics. We fully intend to explore other issue, collect and drop-off self-service options as we look to reconfigure our physical library spaces in the years ahead.”