Library of Things
Our public libraries are invaluable resources for books, online tools, music and all kinds of wonderful programs. Some libraries are going a step further and allowing us to borrow…..things.
One innovator is the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, Maine whose Library of Things was started in 2018 by librarian Hazel Onsrud, “We’re meeting community needs in a globally responsible way,” Ms. Onsrud told the New York Times. Library patrons can choose from 1500 items to borrow for free, including a heated leg massager, a KitchenAid mixer, a root slayer, a food dehydrator and hula hoops.
One 2023 survey found there were more than 2,000 libraries of things worldwide, all aimed at reducing consumption and waste. The program at Curtis Memorial Library is so popular that it had 3700 checkouts last year. Other southern Maine libraries have followed suit. The City of South Portland started an electric tool library to encourage people to rely less on gas-powered lawn and garden tools.
Share this innovative idea with your local library. For more great ideas, join the next Climate Action Committee meeting on September 3, 7:00 pm via Zoom. Contact Sarah at ClimateActionCoord@uufsd.org.
Posted by Donna Gerhauser