OLPC UK/Lending Library and Repair Centre

Objectives

There is no OLPC UK Local Laptop Lending Library or repair centre yet, but herein are plans to start one under the OLPC UK umbrella.

The combined Lending Library / Repair Centre will serve to:

• support the OLPC mission and community via lending out laptops to UK volunteers / contributors; and

• facilitate with space, materiel, and expertise XO repairs by volunteers; and

• encourage, enable, and support Contributor Program applicants from the UK.

We see the Lending Library and Repair Centre concepts as symbiotic and synergistic: the same set of hardware and volunteers can both encourage the OLPC mission and supply a volunteer-run Repair Centre. For more specifics, read on.

Specifics

The previous section lists the objectives the underlie the project. These will be translated into specifics on-the-ground that are consistent with OLPC and OLPC UK's mission. That's plenty vague (necessarily), so here is an initial plan that we intend to fine-tune based on feedback and experience:

Month 1

• Refine this plan on the olpc-uk mailing list
• publicise project
• continue to solicit volunteers
• survey OLPC / SugarLabs activities to find potential LLLL beneficiaries (LLLL)
• survey XO-1 in-country base as best possible (Repair Centre)

Month 2

• Receive, inventory, and triage hardware
• begin hardware repairs
• reach out to community of LLLLs and RCs to a) share/exchange "market research"; b) proposal acceptance criteria (LLLL); and c) repair tips (RC)
• prepare LLLL / RC administrative support (web site(s), statistics, etc.)
• continue to publicise project
• continue to solicit volunteers
• gather LLLL applications

Month 3

• continue hardware repairs
• gather LLLL mentors
• on the basis of mentors and applications, approve first LLLL application(s)
• continue publicity / volunteer solicitation efforts

Month 4

steady state

• receive / repair / send out hardware (RC)
• monitor / mentor / share LLLL projects
• solicit / receive / approve LLLL applications
• continue publicity / volunteer solicitation efforts

Examples

Some examples of how the LLLL / Repair Centre could help:

LLLL

• UK professor interested in prototyping a contributors program application

A professor (or Linux User Group or...) might be considering a contributors program application but hesitant to commit the time / effort. The LLLL could bootstrap this effort with a loan of two (2) XOs for 1-3 months and two part-time mentors, in order to guide the professor and students towards a first prototype activity and a full Contributors Program application.

• OLPC UK member organises teachers mini ContentCamp

XOs might be lent to ContentCamp organisers to supplement a majority of sugar-jhbuild / Sugar-on-a-Stick instances to give teachers a hands-on sense of the deployment scenario, and enable testing the content on "real" XOs. As mentioned in the OLPC UK LLLL FAQ, with OLPC and SugarLabs encouraging software development that makes use of the unique OLPC hardware, what's lacking often is a sense of what exists and what incremental developments are best (witness some of the GSoC proposals that start off very rough even after a motivated student has gotten so far as to reach out and get involved)

• OLPC UK publicity efforts

OLPC UK can enable "XO demos" at conferences / LUGs without having to rely on the same volunteers giving up their laptops.

• OLPC UK member wants an XO to look cool

This is not a good enough reason to lend out an XO.

Repair Centre

• Community member's XO develops a fault

Repair Centre could assist in triage and repair. RC would use its own volunteers (see People section), liase with RCs, mailing lists, IRC participants, OLPC UK members to execute this.

• Remote Repair Centre requires hardware

Repair Centre would consider a swap / help in sourcing the hardware.

FAQ

Who is "we"?

See People section

Who's going to stock them?

People and other volunteers - anyone else with sufficient space is welcome to put their hand up. Martin has space he can use in Central London (City), but the proposal is not offered contingent on exactly (or specifically) one site. Sites around the UK run consistently with the vision above are encouraged.

Who's going to do the repairs?

People and other volunteers. For example, Martin has all the kit recommended at home and in Central London, and has already demonstrated an ability to [apart his XO] (further pictures of computers in various states of a) disarray and b) subsequently working happily provided upon request.

Who's going to deal with the "customers"?

People and other volunteers. The Lending Library and the Repair Centre are not envisaged as for-profit or guaranteed/bonded concerns. The target audience and number of laptops involved seems a fit with this level of organisation.

How much will it cost for each repair type?

Each repair type will be done at shipping and material cost (if any, and agreed beforehand). Donations are welcome but this will be effectively free.

How does this relate to the contributor program?

The contributor program is a great engine to have going. This proposal - Lending Library and Repair Centre - is specifically intended to encourage and enable a contributor program application by lowering the barriers to entry of that proposal. With OLPC and SugarLabs encouraging software development that makes use of the unique OLPC hardware, what's lacking often is a sense of what exists and what incremental developments are best (witness some of the GSoC proposals that start off very rough even after a motivated student has gotten so far as to reach out and get involved). The Lending Library specifically addresses that barrier, and the Repair Centre naturally supports such a Lending Library in addition to the already in-country XOs.

Is this a "hack" around the contributor program to get laptops?

No. That is explicitly not a goal -- keep in mind lenders don't keep the laptops they are lent. We hope that Lending Library beneficiaries will go on to submit contributor program proposals to get laptops of their own (that is a goal), but that is a separate part of the virtuous cycle we hope will begin in the UK. The program has been characterised as "an amplifier [emphasis mine] on the developer program, by lowering the barrier to entry, lowering the cost to OLPC, and multiplexing the hardware" (quoting bemasc on #sugar).

Do you know what you're doing?

We haven't done this before. But we want to do it right, and will leverage all our OLPC, SugarLabs, OLPC grassroots community peer organisations, hardware- and software-development contacts to try to make it a success.

You forgot about Big Problem A or Nasty Surprise B

Probably - see the previous question's answer. Please tell us at olpc-uk@lists.laptop.org about it so we can avoid the pitfalls.

What's the next step?

Get buy in from a) more OLPC UK people; abd b) OLPC Boston to provide the hardware.

People

A number of people have put their hands up. For purposes of this page, "we" is these people and all other future volunteers:

• All: Martin Dengler
• Happy to help on promoting and publicising the OLPC library: Dom Baker
• Happy to help with the library; repairing laptops and administrating the library: David Craddock

I want to help

Great - please add your name above. Here is a list of suggested areas that we can definitely use help in:

• being an available contact person for the combined LLLL/RC

...and one or more of:

1. help lending out laptops
2. help mentoring laptop lendees
3. help administering the library
4. help repairing laptops
5. help administering repair processes
6. help publicising the LLLL/RC
7. provide inventory space

Founding proposal via Contributors Program

Our amended proposal has been submitted to contributors@laptop.org. Our submission reference # (and RT ticket number) is #37030 .

We've been asked to add the full Contributor's project proposal form contents to our submission quickly. Here is the current version:

1. Project Title & Shipment Detail

Name of Project: (WEB-PUBLISHED):

OLPC UK Lending Library and Repair Centre

Shipping Address You've Verified:

OLPC UK c/o Martin Dengler 1 Prescot Street #13 London E1 8RJ

Phone: +44 778 612 6209

Number of Laptops (or other hardware) You Request to Borrow:

1. 10 D stock (would accept less)
2. 20 M stock (would accept less)
3. 35 chargers (would accept less)

Loan Length—How Many Months:

N/A - applying for stock to loan out from the LLLL / Repair Centre

2. Team Participants

Name(s) & Contact Info: (include all email addresses & phone numbers)

1. Martin Dengler martin@martindengler.com +44 778 612 6209
2. Dom Baker (signed up on wiki page; contact details being solicited)
3. David Craddock david.paul.craddock@googlemail.com

For most recent list, see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_UK/Lending_Library_and_Repair_Centre

3. Objectives

Project Objectives: (WEB-PUBLISHED)

The combined Lending Library / Repair Centre will serve to:

- support the OLPC mission and community via lending out laptops to UK volunteers / contributors; and

- facilitate with space, materiel, and expertise XO repairs by volunteers; and

- encourage, enable, and support Contributor Program applicants from the UK.

We see the Lending Library and Repair Centre concepts as symbiotic and synergistic: the same set of hardware and volunteers can both encourage the OLPC mission and supply a volunteer-run Repair Centre.

For the most recent list, see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_UK/Lending_Library_and_Repair_Centre#Objectives

For most recent examples, see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_UK/Lending_Library_and_Repair_Centre#Examples

4. Plan of Action

The specifics "on-the-ground" that are consistent with OLPC and OLPC UK's mission and the objectives above imply a plan like in the above Specifics section.

5. Needs

Why is this project needed?

See "Objectives" above.

Locally?

See "Objectives" above.

In the greater OLPC/Sugar community?

See "Objectives" above.

Outside the community?

It will be run by community members.

Why can't this project be done in emulation using non-XO machines?

See "Objectives" above.

Why are you requesting the number of machines you are asking for?

See "Objectives" above.

Will you consider (1) salvaged/rebuilt or (2) damaged XO Laptops?

Yes - see "Objectives" above.

6. Sharing Deliverables

Project URL:

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_UK/Lending_Library_and_Repair_Centre#Contributors_Program_proposal

How will you convey tentative ideas & results back to the OLPC/Sugar community, prior to completion?

1. Project sub-pages
2. OLPC-UK mailing list
3. Grassroots mailing list
4. Educational convention presentations and publishing thereof

How will the final fruits of your labor be distributed to children or community members worldwide?

Ongoing - see "Objectives" above

Will your work have any possible application or use outside our community?

Yes - other user groups may pick up the LLLL concept as it relates to their field and use our experiences to inform their progress. Our publicity efforts and web presence will get these ideas out to this larger audience.

Have you investigated working with nearby XO Lending Libraries or Project Groups?

Yes (and we hope to become a resource for others!)

7. Quality/Mentoring

Would your Project benefit from Support, Documentation and/or Testing people?

Definitely as mentors, but could be great in other capacities. All are welcome.

Teachers' input into Usability?

Possibly, depending on how broadly "usability" is defined.

How will you promote your work?

As many media as possible - OLPC UK members have experience in creatig buzz on the web, mainstream media (UK TV's "Gadget Show"), and just by walking around with XOs all the time.

Can we help you with an experienced mentor from the OLPC/Sugar community? (WEB-PUBLISHED)

Yes, but not a pre-requisite as we have a number of experienced people already...but more help is always welcome.

8. Timeline (Start to Finish)

See "Plan of Action" section above.

Prior proposals archive

The earlier proposals have been moved an archive page