Nothing is yours. It is to use. It is to share.
If you will not share it, you cannot use it. --Ursula K. Le
Guin
The Library of Things: Sharing More Than Books
--by Cat Johnson, syndicated from shareable.net, May 25, 2016
What
if the next time you needed a sewing machine, or screen printer, or even a GoPro
camera, you just went down to your public library and borrowed it?
That’s
the idea behind the Library of
Things. The visionary project, which is located in the Sacramento library
system’s Arcade branch, enables people to borrow goods just like they would a
book—by checking them out with their library card.
The
project stems from the fact that people don’t need to own all the items they may
need—they can access them through the library. Some libraries have been
lending tools and toys for
decades.
The
Library of Things is experimenting with lending all kinds of goods. Among the
other items available are musical instruments, video games, a laminator,
crafting tools and more. The Library of Things also hosts an in-house bike
repair station, a 3D scanner, and a serger for professional quality
stitching.
To
determine what library patrons wanted in the Library of Things, organizers used
an online voting system. In the first round of voting, sewing machines received
the most votes so the library bought six of them to lend out.
The
Arcade branch is also home to the Design Spot, an area with five 3D printers and
computers equipped with design software. The Sacramento library system also
offers a prom dress lending program, a seed library at the Colonial Heights
branch, and a self-publishing center for aspiring writers.
Funded
by a federal grant received through the Library Services and Technology Act, the
Library of Things points to the need for libraries to go beyond offering books
into offering resources and information of all types.
As
Sacramento Public Library spokesman Malcolm Maclachlan told
the Sacramento
Bee, the project is part of a push for libraries to diversify beyond
book lending.
“We’re
doing this under a plan to be a resource for more than just books,” he said.
“And we’re building off the wider movement of DIY.”
This
story originally appeared on Shareable, an
online magazine that tells the story of sharing that covers people, places, and
projects bringing a shareable world to life. Cat Johnson is a freelance writer
focused on community, the commons, sharing, collaboration and music.
Publications include Utne Reader, GOOD, Yes! Magazine, Shareable, Triple Pundit
and Lifehacker.
Be The Change: Take some time to check out what kind of programs
that are taking place at your local library - you might be in for a pleasant
surprise.
Sourced From www.dailygood.org
