Wisconsin library loans out iPads

Hmmm, it seems as though the pilot program by Apple to loan out the iPad to its employees for use for a week or so has yet to kick off, only to have a Wisconsin library beat them to the punch. The public library in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has just kick-started a program that will enable customers to borrow iPads instead of the usual staple – books. All these iPads will come with 1,000 eBook classics to begin with, and your ears will be tickled by the ten audiobooks thrown into the mix in addition to a slew of other applications to get you started right away.

The iPads can be rented in the library for up to four hours at a time, and if you prefer to bring it home, you can do so for a grand total of seven days. There are 44 iPads in total at the library, all of which were purchased with a grant. Hopefully there will be the necessary failsafe measures introduced to make sure that these iPads are returned in the same condition that they were borrowed – pristine. I do wonder what happens when an accident happens? Surely those who want to borrow iPads would need to drop a sizeable deposit to begin with in order to avoid untoward stories of disappearing library members (and iPads).