Chapter 9: Lending system for devices and materials

After this pinboard, you will know:

Typical use: iPad cases, projectors, cameras, robotics sets, experimental materials, and media center devices.

The lending system is useful when items need to be reserved or borrowed for a certain period of time.

Examples:

Advantage: Reservation, overview, and documentation are all in one place.

A lending item is displayed in a box.

The box contains:

One map can contain several lending items.

First, create a map for the lending area.

Examples:

Tip: Use columns for categories, for example tablets, projectors, audio, robotics.

Good categorization makes lending clearer.

Possible columns:

Recommendation: Choose categories that match your school's inventory.

Place a short introductory box at the beginning of the map.

Content:

This way, basic questions do not need to be repeated in every item box.

Create a separate box for each lendable item.

The box should contain:

Example: iPad case no. 1: 16 iPads with charging cables

A good description reduces follow-up questions.

Example:

iPad case no. 1
16 iPads with charging cables, transport case, and quick guide. Suitable for teaching projects, research, presentations, and collaborative work.

Pickup: Media room 1

Return: fully charged and with accessories

List accessories directly in the box.

Examples:

Tip: An accessory list helps with return and inspection.

Usage rules should be short and clear.

Examples:

Note: The clearer the rules, the fewer conflicts arise later.

Open the box settings. Click on Bookings and calendar and activate the lending system.

In the settings, you can select the initial view, the blocked days after each lending process, in week view the time span of a day, bookable time slots, and whether school periods should be used instead of clock times.

Then check:

Recommendation: Test the process before publishing.

Users select the desired lending period in the calendar. Activate the initial view (month, week, or day) in the box settings.

Depending on the item, the following may make sense:

Tip: In week and day view, you can define the reservation duration under Bookable time slots in minutes (e.g. for 2 hours = enter 120 minutes).

Calendar views help keep an overview.

Useful are:

In practice: For iPad cases, the week view is often especially helpful.

You can define blocked days in the settings. Blocked days prevent reservations for the specified number of days after a successful loan.

Suitable for:

Example: A robotics case was borrowed and returned. Two days are needed to sort the parts again and prepare the case.

If you want to block individual calendar days (e.g. a fixed maintenance date), simply book this period yourself as admin. Then other users will no longer be able to reserve that period.

The overview shows:

Tip: Check upcoming loans regularly, especially before school holidays.

Typical questions:

This allows problems to be clarified quickly.

Reasons:

Note: Be sure to inform affected users if a reservation is changed.

A loan slip can document the handover. You can open it by clicking on the loan in the calendar and then selecting Loan slip in the dialog.

The loan slip contains:

In practice: Especially useful for expensive devices or media center lending.

Box title: iPad case no. 1

Content:

Tip: Add a checklist for return and accessories.

Box title: Mobile projector

Content:

Note: List accessories especially carefully.

Box title: Robotics case – grades 5 to 8

Content:

In practice: Link directly to an introductory map or manual.

☐ Lending map created
☐ Categories defined
☐ Introductory box created
☐ Item boxes created
☐ Accessories described
☐ Rules formulated
☐ Reservation function tested
☐ Blocked days checked
☐ Contact person named

☐ Mark defective devices
☐ Enter maintenance days
☐ Check old reservations
☐ Update accessory lists
☐ Check pickup location
☐ Monitor return process
☐ Add new devices
☐ Remove items that are no longer available

Avoid these mistakes:

Rule of thumb: A good description prevents a bad return.

The more devices, items, and maps are created at your school, the more important fast retrieval becomes. That is exactly what the next chapter is about.

There you will learn how to quickly find individual devices or materials using content and box search – such as by device number – and how to keep large school pinboards organized with tags.