Interested in connecting users with the latest resources aimed at advancing intellectual inquiry and discovery, researchers from Texas Tech University Libraries decided to embark on a study to explore the practicality of the latest technology, the iPad, within the varying functions of academia. Using an online survey and focus groups, the researchers sought to investigate how students and faculty felt the iPad might be used in teaching and learning, as well as research. This article describes the process the researchers used to obtain iPads for research and how they explored their use in an academic setting.