By Jake New, Chronicle of Higher Ed
The new vending machine in Drexel University’s main library doesn’t dispense soda or study-time snacks. In fact, those snacks should be kept away from what this machine delivers, to keep crumbs from getting in the keyboards. This kiosk lends out 15-inch MacBooks free, with the swipe of a Drexel ID card. When the library started staying open 24 hours a day during midterms, in 2012, a student-government representative noticed a potential problem. “From a safety standpoint, students carrying expensive laptops, especially at night, is not a good idea,” said the student leader, Omer I. Hashmi. The library has long lent laptops at a desk the old-fashioned way—having people sign them in and out. But staff members were not always available to check the equipment out during the late shift. So Mr. Hashmi, who has since graduated, approached the library last year with his safety concerns.
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