Laptop locks

As a response to the spate of laptop thefts in the library in the past few weeks, library staff have responded with new security measures.

Several desks in the library, predominantly the new ones on the first floor, have been fitted with laptop locks. These allow students to effectively padlock their laptops to the desks while they leave for a short while.

Students must buy a lock which is compatible with the library desk models, and which locks into the body of the laptop. The other end then anchors in the desk itself. These locks are widely available and will shortly be stocked in on campus stores and bookshops, library staff say.

“These are a really good idea,” said one second year English student, “It will be a lot easier to run off to get a book or go to the loo if you don’t have to lug your laptop with you every time you go. It had got really annoying when I thought it wasn’t safe to leave it behind.”

Nonetheless, some students have raised concerns, including the annoyance of having yet another thing to remember to carry with you when you go to the library. Others have suggested that this could make it even harder to find a desk during busy peak times if people are able to leave, having already secured a desk.