You probably knew that you could check out a book on gardening from the Harvard Public Library, but did you know you can also check out fruit, vegetable, and flower seeds? Moreover, you can borrow a weed wrench, weed-assassin shovel, or even loppers for trimming shrubs and trees.
The library isn’t just stacked with books. Now it has a Library of Things where you can borrow items to try before you buy or use and return, reducing the net amount of “stuff” in our environment. Curious about stargazing? Check out a telescope. Wondering just how much electricity you are consuming? Check out a home energy assessment kit. Want to build a French countryside landscape puzzle? You can check that out, too.
The Library of Things is the project of Megan Balbresky, the head of circulation at the library, and has been in development for many years. It began with the donation of a telescope in 2017 by the Aldrich Astronomical Society at the behest of a Harvard resident who had attended one of the society’s programs at the Littleton library. Shortly thereafter, the Harvard library received four ukuleles with tuners and chord kits and chord books, which remain popular among patrons. Mass Save, a state collaborative of electric and natural gas utilities and energy efficiency service providers, donated the home energy assessment kit.
The most recent additions to the Library of Things are garden tools. The Harvard Conservation Commission applied for and received a grant to purchase the tools, and the organization needed a way to get them into the hands of residents in a coordinated way. Partnering with the library seemed like the best idea, and Balbresky was excited to prepare the tools for lending. “We got a sawtooth shovel, and I thought, ‘This could be dangerous in the wrong hands.’” The only thing she could find to fit over the serrated edges was child-proofing material used for table edges. Balbresky barcoded all the tools and catalogued them in a binder that library patrons can browse.
(Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
To borrow a tool, the lender must have a library card in good standing, be a Harvard or Devens resident or a parent of a child attending a Harvard school, be 18 years of age or older, and sign a liability waiver releasing the library from responsibility in the event of injury. Tools must be returned as clean as the user can get them, with the understanding that the items are used in dirt so “clean” is a relative term.
The Library of Things is spread throughout the library. Venture into the Children’s Room, and Abby Kingsbury, head children’s librarian, can lend you any one of the over 100 board games she has been collecting for circulation over the past decade. “We don’t have Candyland or Monopoly or any of the games that people are likely to know,” said Kingsbury. “It’s more the games that maybe you would want to try before you buy. It’s a two-week checkout. If you love it, maybe you’ll buy it or maybe you’ll check it out again sometime.”
In 2018, Kingsbury put together “kits” for lending. Want to make pizza with your kids? Check out the pizza kit and get an easy-to-read cookbook with pizza recipes, child-friendly pizza cutters, and fictional stories featuring the pies. Have a tiny baker in your house? Check out the baking kit with books and silicone cupcake containers for baking. “If you’re a grandparent and you don’t have Legos in your house, but your grandkids are coming for the weekend, borrow the Lego kit,” said Kingsbury.
3D printing and more
Upstairs, young adult/reference librarian Jill Hayes may not have as many items that can be taken out of the library, but she has some crafty tech that can be checked out in the building. For those interested in learning about 3D printing, the library has an Ultimaker, which can print anything from a toy to a cover for a soda can. Want to make cookies in the shape of the library? The 3D printer can make you a cookie cutter! There is a nominal fee to cover the cost of the printing materials, but most designs cost less than $5, according to the informational flyer provided by the library. Other tech gadgets on offer include a button maker, stop-motion animation kit, and a FastFoto scanner to convert slides, photographs, and documents into digital files.
One of Hayes’ favorite items is the Cricut Maker. Like the 3D printer, the Cricut must be used in the library, but it is very popular among crafters and DIY patrons. The machine can be used to make a variety of things, like signs, greetings cards, personalized bags and T-shirts, personalized water bottles and even labels. Hayes used the Cricut to make all the labels for the seed library.
“Being a librarian, I want to give people access to knowledge and ways to learn,” said Hayes. “The Library of Things is just another way to learn and play. It’s great to be able to give people access to things that they might not ordinarily have, things that they can try, ways to just explore, whether it’s something creative or a new skill.”
Balbresky has big plans for the Library of Things. In the short term, she will be adding pickleball paddles and balls. She also has colorblind glasses, which filter light and enhance contrast for people with the condition, that will be ready to check out in the next month. Plans to make the entire catalog available on the library website are in the works. A patron survey suggested some items the library is currently exploring as additions, including a sewing machine, a digital projector and screen, a laser level and stud finder, and a corn hole game.
“It’s about sustainability, community, saving money, and reducing waste, all at once,” said Library Director Mary Wilson.
