The IT Help Desk, on the 5th floor of the Walker Building, lends laptops, tablets, chargers, adapters, cables, and accessories to Emerson students, faculty, and staff at no cost. This article lists what the Help Desk lends, how many of each item are in the lending pool, and how to borrow them.
Film, video, and audio production equipment such as cameras, lights, and microphones is lent by the Equipment Distribution Center (EDC), not the IT Help Desk.
What the Help Desk lends
Quantities are the number of each item in the lending pool as of September 2026. Some will be checked out at any given time.
| Category | Includes | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Laptops | MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Dell Windows laptops, Dragonframe MacBooks | 49 |
| Tablets | iPad Pro with Apple Pencil | 12 |
| Laptop chargers | Apple USB-C, MagSafe 3, and MagSafe 2 adapters; Dell adapters | 31 |
| Phone and tablet chargers | USB-C, Lightning, and dual USB-C/Lightning chargers | 32 |
| Display adapters | USB-C, Mini DisplayPort, and Lightning to HDMI or VGA | 28 |
| Network adapters and hotspots | Ethernet adapters, 5G mobile hotspots | 20 |
| Cables | HDMI, DVI, VGA, Ethernet, USB, and Thunderbolt | Varies |
| Accessories | Webcams, hubs, mice, card readers, Blu-ray drives, wireless presenters, tripods | 62 plus mice |
How to borrow equipment
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Ask for it or reserve it. Come to the Help Desk during lending hours and ask for what you need, or reserve it ahead of time:
- Online in the WebCheckout Patron Portal, signing in with your Emerson credentials. See Accessing the WebCheckout Patron Portal for instructions. Place online reservations at least 2 hours before your pickup time.
- By phone at 617-824-8080 or by email at helpdesk@emerson.edu.
- Show your Emerson ID at the Help Desk when you pick up.
- Acknowledge the equipment loan agreement. You will be asked to do this each time you borrow.
- Return everything by the due date, including any charger or accessory that came with the item. Bring your Emerson ID when you return.
Lending hours
| Monday through Friday | 8:00 am to 9:45 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am to 5:45 pm |
Loan periods and returns
- The standard loan is 3 days. Laptops and tablets can be borrowed for up to 2 weeks.
- Your due date and time are set when the equipment is checked out to you.
- Loans are not renewed automatically. If you need more time, contact the Help Desk before your due date.
- Late returns are charged $25 per day.
Equipment details
Select a category to see the specific models the Help Desk lends.
Every laptop is lent with its charger. Laptops can be borrowed for up to 2 weeks.
| Model | Details | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Air 13" and 15" | macOS, Apple M1 through M4 chips, USB-C ports | 22 |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13", 14", and 16" | macOS, Apple M-series chips, for more demanding software such as video editing | 9 |
| Dell Latitude 14" and 15" | Windows 11, Latitude 7410, 7420, 7450, and 5521 | 10 |
| Dell Pro 14 Plus | Windows 11 | 4 |
| Apple MacBook Air with Dragonframe | macOS with Dragonframe installed, for stop-motion animation | 4 |
Every iPad Pro is lent with an Apple Pencil. Tablets can be borrowed for up to 2 weeks.
| Model | Details | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad Pro 13" (M4) | Lent with an Apple Pencil Pro | 8 |
| Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (5th generation) | Lent with an Apple Pencil (2nd generation) | 4 |
If you are not sure which charger your laptop uses, bring the laptop with you. A higher-wattage Apple USB-C adapter will safely charge a MacBook that shipped with a lower-wattage one.
| Charger | Fits | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Apple USB-C Power Adapter, 61W and 67W | MacBook Air and 13"/14" MacBook Pro with USB-C charging | 8 |
| Apple USB-C Power Adapter, 87W and 96W | 15" and 16" MacBook Pro with USB-C charging | 7 |
| Apple MagSafe 3 Power Adapter, 35W and 96W | MacBook Air (2022 and later) and MacBook Pro (2021 and later) | 4 |
| Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, 45W and 60W | MacBook Air and MacBook Pro from 2012 to 2017 | 6 |
| Dell Power Adapter, 65W and 90W | Dell Latitude and most Dell laptops | 6 |
| Charger | Fits | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| USB-C charger, 20W | iPhone 15 and later, recent iPads, and most Android phones | 14 |
| Dual USB-C and Lightning charger, 45W | Any iPhone or iPad, and most Android phones | 8 |
| Lightning charger | iPhone 14 and earlier, older iPads | 10 |
For connecting a laptop, tablet, or phone to a monitor, TV, or projector.
| Adapter | Details | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter | USB-C to HDMI, with USB-A and USB-C charging ports | 11 |
| Apple USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter | USB-C to VGA, with USB-A and USB-C charging ports | 2 |
| Mini DisplayPort to VGA | Older MacBooks with Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 2 | 6 |
| Mini DisplayPort to HDMI, and to HDMI/DVI/VGA | Older MacBooks with Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 2 | 2 |
| Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter | Lightning to HDMI, for iPhone 14 and earlier and older iPads | 3 |
| Apple Lightning to VGA Adapter | For iPhone 14 and earlier and older iPads | 4 |
| Item | Details | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 5G mobile hotspot | Inseego MiFi M2000, for internet access away from campus Wi-Fi | 4 |
| Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter | Older MacBooks with Thunderbolt 2 | 9 |
| Belkin USB-C to Ethernet Adapter | Any laptop with a USB-C port | 7 |
Cables are lent by type rather than individually tracked, so ask at the Help Desk for current stock.
| Type | Cables |
|---|---|
| Video | HDMI, HDMI extension, HDMI to Mini-HDMI, DVI, DVI to HDMI, VGA |
| Network | Ethernet |
| Data | USB, USB extension, Thunderbolt, USB-C to USB adapters |
| Item | Details | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| USB card reader | CFexpress Type B readers and SD card readers | 15 |
| Wireless presenter | Kensington, Logitech, and other slide clickers | 14 |
| USB webcam | Logitech C920, C925e, and C930e, and others | 13 |
| Tripod | SunPak full-size tripods | 9 |
| USB-A hub | Xcellon 4-port | 5 |
| USB Blu-ray drive | ASUS external drive, also reads and writes DVDs and CDs | 4 |
| USB-C hub | Xcellon 4-port | 2 |
| USB mouse | Wired mice | Varies |
Need help?
Contact the IT Help Desk at 617-824-8080 or helpdesk@emerson.edu, or visit the 5th floor of the Walker Building.