The BuckiPad: A Case Study on Evaluating iPad Circulation and Cost per Use at The Ohio State University Libraries
Journal Article
Overview
abstract
Chapter 3 of Library Technology Reports (vol. 51, no. 7), “Mobile Devices: Service with Intention,” describes the enthusiasm around mobile technology, particularly iPads, and its applicability to student learning that has flourished on the Ohio State University campus. During the 2013–2014 academic year, the Ohio State University Libraries sought to understand and participate in campus-wide initiatives on student engagement and emerging technology by launching the BuckiPad Pilot Program, which offered students the opportunity to check out an iPad from the library. What is most fascinating about the BuckiPad Pilot Program as a case study is that, in spite of a campus atmosphere ripe for iPad adoption, the circulation and assessment data of the pilot did not reveal long-term, cost-effective sustainability.