Device management and security

When you are setting up a lending library, being in control of your available stock will be important. You will need to consider appropriate device, data security and confidentiality measures before each loan is made. This may be a condition of your funding, but is also legally important - accidentally sharing personal information would be a data protection breach.

It's necessary to consider how you will manage these issues - wiping devices between each loan is the minimum of ensuring personal data is not stored on the devices. You can usually do this yourself by following a step-by-step process set by the manufacturer. Research the processes for wiping (also known as re-setting to factory settings) of different devices and manufacturers before you settle on specific devices, as you may find some to be easier than others.

Some organisations opt to have mobile device management software installed. This enables them to monitor, manage, and secure devices from a central location, and also allows for efficient troubleshooting since the device does not need to be returned for access. Using mobile device management also means that you can always access a device, even if it has been locked to a user account. If you have internal IT support, ask for advice and recommendations early on, as adding software to your devices will incur additional costs and requires staff resource to manage.