Call for Proposals - The Innovative Library

This presentation overviews how the Georgia Southern University Libraries addressed Windows 10 end of life. Windows 10 end of life will occur in October 2025. After that point, Windows computers cannot be operated on the campus networks without upgrade to Windows 11. Addressing Windows 10 end of life was a 2 year process at the University Libraries, with most time spent in decisionmaking and advocacy. In 2023, campus IT practice was to replace student use machines on an 8 year cycle, and that had been the practice for several years. As a result at the beginning of 2024, approximately half of the University Libraries' 650 student use computers were not compatible with Windows 11, consisting of in-building computers, checkout laptops, and computers attached to specialized peripherals such as digitization equipment. This presentation overviews how the University Libraries addressed Windows 10 end of life with a two pronged approach: Addressing drivers for durable equipment, such as embedded Windows computers in overhead KIC scanners, and computers attached to expensive peripherals (Georgia Southern has an AS/RS industrial crane installation for high density book storage, as well as more typical equipment such as microfilm scanners). And, addressing computers available directly to students, such as classroom computers, lab computers, and checkout laptops, including decisions about whether and what changes should be made in light of technology trends among students over time. Today, device ownership is near universal among students, and simultaneously making computers available to students addresses needs around intermittent gaps in technology access (i.e. a broken personal device), mitigating underpowered student devices, and technology as a pathway for connecting students to other campus services.