student's guide to using netloan

What is netloan education?

An academic library users guide…netloan education is a PC booking system which ensures fair and equal access to the computers at your college/university. Dependent on your institution, netloan enables you to either log straight onto an available computer, or book it in advance via your college/university website or intranet, a kiosk unit in the library or through library counter staff (in person or by telephone).  

How do I book a computer using netloan education?

1. Direct log on to a computer in person
   In most student libraries you can walk up to any available computer and log on through netloan if no-one else has pre-booked that computer. The login screen will show if the computer is available or not: if it is available it will display the 'available until...' time.
2. Online
   Students can often reserve a computer online via their college/university website or intranet. To do this, you may need your username and password. Remember to make a note of the computer number you have booked – so that you can find it easily on your arrival.
3. Staff
   PC reservations can often be made with a member of staff, either in person or over the phone. To do this, you will usually need your username and password.   
4. Self-service kiosk
   Many academic libraries now have self-service kiosks in place where you can book your computer and pay library fines.  

How long can I book a computer for?

Usage allowance differs within every institution, so check out the policies in your college/university for more information.

What happens when I turn up for my booking?

If you know which computer you have booked, you can go straight to it and log in via netloan. Your name will be displayed on the screen as soon as it is possible for you to log in with your username and password.

What will happen if I arrive late for my booked session?

Once booked, a computer will not be available for other students to use. The computer will remain booked for a set number of minutes beyond the session start time. After that, your booking is automatically cancelled in netloan and will be available to other students.

How do I know when my session time has started?

On the login page there is a clock in the upper left hand corner. This clock is shown on every netloan web page. It is this time that is used to decide when a booking will begin or end within netloan. Therefore if you make a booking and are waiting for it to start, it will not start until this clock says it is time for the booking to start.   

English isn't my first language. Are there other languages available?

Colleges and universities can have more than one language enabled within netloan. If your institution chooses to do so, there will be a list of languages under the login button. If you click on one of these languages, netloan will switch languages. 

Can I cancel a booking if I need to?

Yes, you can cancel the booking yourself from any computer or contact the student library. If you are doing it online, you can view a list of all the bookings you have made and select the booking you wish to cancel. You will then get the option to delete the booking using the Edit Booking Box. You will only be able to delete or edit your own bookings.

What if I finish early?

Select end session and log off. The computer will log you out and all details of your session will be erased.

What happens at the end of a netloan session?

Each institution can configure this setting differently, however generally speaking 10 minutes before the end of your session (and again at 2 minutes) netloan will warn you that your session is nearly at an end. netloan will log you off automatically at the end of your booked time, and all details of your session will be erased.