ASUA’s Laptop Loan Program, which was launched in January, has seen a lot of success so far and may expand to other libraries on campus because of large student interest.

“”I think the word is finally getting out,”” said Rebecca Blakiston, a library specialist for the UA materials access team. “”A lot more students have been using it lately.””

The Laptop Loan Program allows students to rent laptops from the main library for up to four hours at a time, Blakiston said.

The program is open to students 24 hours a day and the laptops can be used anywhere on campus, Blakiston said.

Jessica Duran, a business economics senior, said she uses the Laptop Loan Program as an alternative to waiting in line for computers at the Manuel T. Pacheco Integrated Learning Center.

Duran said the computers were fast and easy to check out but suggested the program expand beyond the 12 laptops currently available to students so more students could take advantage of the program.

She also said that the Laptop Loan Program should find a subtler way of marking it known that the laptops are UA property.

“”It’s kind of embarrassing to walk around with a laptop with orange spray paint on it that says ‘UA Library,'”” Duran said.

Initiated by Rhonda Tubbs, Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senator, the Laptop Loan Program has been in place since January.

The program was funded by a $10,000 donation from the Tubbs Family Foundation, which was then matched with a $10,000 grant from the UA library, Tubbs said.

“”I’m really proud that (the Laptop Loan Program) is a success and it’s one of the biggest programs to come out of ASUA this year,”” Tubbs said. “”Every time I see a student using one of the laptops, it makes it worth it.””

UA undergraduate services and the Materials access team now run the program.

Dan Lee, the interim team director for undergraduate services, said that the success of the program has led to the possibility of the program expanding and that students may see it expand to the Science-Engineering L ibrary.

Other than CatsRidde, the Laptop Loan Program is the only other program successfully launched this year by the ASUA Senate.