Some of the items that can be borrowed from the Library of Things at the Medicine Hat Public Library. (Photo Courtesy Chris Brown)

By Chris Brown

Library of Things

Library branches out with its borrowing options

Oct 12, 2021 | 2:35 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Libraries started as places you could borrow books to learn about gardening and music. Now you can borrow the gardening tools and musical instruments themselves.

Earlier this, fall, the Medicine Hat Public Library launched its Library of Things, a catalogue of non-traditional items to loan out.

Chief librarian Ken Feser says libraries always want to serve the public and give people what they want.

“Lots of different libraries are experimenting with that or having lots of different collections available and it’s really just a matter of figuring out what’s needed by our local community,” he said. “So this is our best starting guess as to what people here in Medicine Hat will want. We’re certainly open to hearing from people about what they think we should add because really the possibilities are endless.”

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Bicycles, a sewing kit, Wi-Fi hotspots, sports equipment and passes to the Esplanade, Family Leisure Centre and other community spaces are included in the Library of Things.

Feser said the items are either donated or purchased by the library and some have already proven quite popular.

“The Wi-Fi points we can’t really keep in the building and also passes to the Family Leisure Centre and Medalta and things like that, those are constantly in use well,” he said.

He adds the loaning model works for libraries in ways it can’t for individuals.

“There’s a certain efficiency and value in that where we buy one thing for the community and then it’s used many times by many different people. So really that value proposition works with anything that people want.”