Empowering Students: Providing Laptops to Those in Need
by Qi-Mai
On the afternoon of Jan. 15, student Raymond Dentley was excited to begin his spring semester when he checked out a laptop from Weston Tate, a technician assistant in the Rosenberg Library’s Media Center.
This was the second time he borrowed a laptop through the program, which he first learned about from an academic counselor during his first semester. Dentley would not have been able to pursue his career goals so easily had it not been for the Laptop Program.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, City College quickly adapted to online learning, ensuring that students had the tools they needed to continue their studies. The college launched its Laptop Program in 2020, securing the funds to purchase over 1,000 laptops for students. This initiative has now been running for several years and has helped thousands of students succeed academically.
Rosenberg Library technician Toni Kibby-Blackburn explained that laptops are in high demand across all campuses, including Ocean, Mission, Downtown, Chinatown and John Adams. Currently, there is a waiting list of around 100 students who are still waiting for a laptop.
To ensure availability, students are encouraged to request laptops well in advance — ideally, a few weeks before the semester begins. This semester, laptops were available for checkout starting Jan. 13 and must be returned by May 21.
The program has continually improved, with the library increasing the quality of the laptops each semester. Students have the option of signing out either a Chromebook or a Dell Windows laptop.
Kibby-Blackburn notes that the laptops have significantly supported many students in their college studies.
Students who reserve laptops are reminded to check their school email accounts, not personal ones, for communication regarding the checkout process and to stay in touch with library staff.