molds and holiday cookie cutters, and bulky
items they might not have room for.
“When you look how much space a pasta maker
or a food dehydrator takes up — do you really
want to have to store these items?” Mason said.
The library treats the items like books, allowing
people to reserve them online and sending them
to various branches for pickup, she said. Patrons
are required to return the kitchen items clean,
and are advised to wash them before using.
St. Louis County Library in Missouri has
a telescope lending program, which was
suggested by the St. Louis Astronomical Society.
It began in 2014 and was an “instant hit,” said
director Kristen Sorth said. “People seem very
appreciative of the opportunity and treat them
very well,” Sorth said.
Loaning telescopes aligns with the library’s
interest in promoting science education, she
said, by giving people access to cool equipment.
“I’ve done it a couple of times. I had one as a kid
and I like to see what I can see in the night sky,”
said Craig Williams of St. Louis, who hopes to
own one someday.
In the twin cities, the Minneapolis Art Lending
Library, a non-profit group, promotes art
appreciation by lending out original works that
borrowers can hang on their walls at home.
Part of a library’s mission is to help patrons learn,
and that isn’t limited to books, says Christine
Feldmann, a spokeswoman for the Anne
Arundel County Public Library in Annapolis,
Maryland, which loans out fishing poles and
ukuleles, among other items.
“The library is really about connecting people
with resources,” she said. “These programs are
just an extension of that.”
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