Books, thankfully, still fill America’s public libraries in the digital age. But dozens of other wonderful objects that feed the brain in different ways are also free for the asking, through creative lending programs. “Part of our job is to have enjoyable materials of all kinds that encourage curiosity,” says HeidiO’Hare, director of the Tomahawk Public Library in Wisconsin. Its popular Nature Backpack program—choices include insects, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, rocks and minerals and plants—is funded by a grant from local grandparents David and JoyceWeizenicker to the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. What else can a library card get you? More than book smarts. Check out these creative ways to feed your free time.
Library Benefits
Tool Rental
Need a saw, hammer, weed whacker or unusual screwdriver? The Berkeley (California) Public Library’s Tool Lending Library is one of the oldest such services in the country, founded in 1979. Recently, the library has branched into kitchen-tool loaning: food dehydrators, Instant Pots, ice cream makers and more.
Telehealth Visits
At the Pottsboro (Texas) Area Library, you can schedule your telehealth visit, complete your pre-visit check-in electronically and attend your appointment—all at the library.
Memory Kits
Families who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease might look into checking out Memory Kits (also called Reminiscence Kits or Caregiver Kits) at their local library. Each contains multi-sensory materials designed to spark memories. At Wyoming’s Laramie Public Library in Cheyenne, kits have themes like automobiles, African Americans, music, pets and the ’50s. Based on “reminiscence therapy,” music, photographs and tactile objects (toy cars, cooking utensils, pinecones) are used to call up deeply held memories and stimulate conversation and joy.
Seed Sharing
Librarians have become farmers, or at least, farming midwives, since 2004, when the Hudson Valley Seed Library sprouted at the Gardiner (New York) Public Library. Since then, free seed-sharing programs (like a new one at the Cleveland Public Library) have opened across the country, specializing in heirloom or uniquely local flowers, vegetables and other plants. The idea: To teach people about regional flora, expand seed access and help preserve biodiversity. Some libraries ask you to harvest and return seeds after your plant grows.
Sporting Goods Sharing
Not all kids have access to basketballs, footballs and soccer balls. In southeast Michigan, 15 libraries like the Pontiac and Pinckney Community Public Libraries (partnering with local community groups like YMCA) are supporting physical literacy and play time by letting kids borrow balls through an equipment sharing program.
Dinner + a Book
Unusual circulations are only one type of public library service you may not expect. The variety of interactive opportunities is as creative and unique as the local librarians behind them. Remember story hour? How about sampling great reads paired with local beverages, like wine and coffee at the North Olympic Library System outside Seattle? In St. Augustine, Florida, St. Johns County Public Library System has offered everything from adult coloring events to books matched to meals. Typical menu: True Grit plus campfire cooking.
Meditation Sessions
Boulder Public Library in Colorado offers Midday Music Meditations (“perfect for meditating, reading or knitting”) and includes sensory-friendly performances for those with autism.
