Browsing through the stacks for the latest bestseller or a treasured tome will always be the main reason to visit a public library, but there are some newer reasons, too. Some public libraries have expanded their rental offerings beyond books.
It is truly incredible what you can check out from a library – a bike! a guitar! seeds! backpacks! You can even use your library card in the community to expand your knowledge and experience.
To get the most out of them, have a current library card and clear up any fines. Always return your items on time so the others in the community can benefit from these opportunities, too.
Check out (pun intended) these Colorado libraries for their special sections:
Denver Public Library
When I think of the Denver Public Library and its many branches, I think of story time for kids and leaving with a stack of books to curl up with at home. I was surprised to learn that it also has a “Library of Things” for cardholders to rent things like Chromebooks (for up to three months!), bicycle repair kits (checkout onsite for two hours only), sewing machines (from the Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales branch only), and power check meters.
Plus, you can use your library card for “one carload” of people to visit a Colorado State Park or a local museum. Participating institutions include the American Museum of Western Art, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Butterfly Pavilion, and several more places. Check with the museum first to see if a reservation is needed, and make sure you take your library card and current identification.
Your Denver Public Library card can be used at the Denver Tool Library for renting tools for up to a week. Ordinarily, you must have a membership to use the Denver Tool Library, which start at $150 per year — a bargain considering what just one lawn mower or air compressor or sander might cost.
Phone-a-story is a different type of library service: You can dial a number listed on the library website and listen to a story based on the age and preferred language of the listener. For example, “for a preschool story in Spanish, press 1,” or “for a song, story, or rhyme in Amharic, press 7.” The stories, read by local volunteers, are updated weekly so you might hear a Denver City Council member or former Denver Nuggets player reading.
Pueblo County
In Pueblo, the main Rawlings Library, part of the Pueblo City-County Library District, includes a Hispanic Resource Center. According to its website, this is for “all who wish to expand their awareness and knowledge of Hispanic Culture and History.” The center includes an art gallery with work by local and Hispanic artists, a Citizenship Corner, weekly bilingual storytime, bilingual staff and materials.
At the Pueblo West Library, you will find the Music Box, a small professional recording studio that is available by reservation. The Lucero Library in Pueblo has Studio 1315 for recording sessions, also by reservation. Basically, you are renting or checking out time from the library here. The Rawlings Library has a Digital Memory Lab where you can digitize photos and videos. Need one-on-one tech support? The library also offers this service for cardholders.
Telluride
Wilkinson Public Library in Telluride has an expansive and well-organized “Unusual Items” department on its main level. Currently available items for loan to library card holders include a steam cleaner, trekking poles, an air compressor, a vlogging setup, a hiking backpack, an electric guitar, a violin, an assortment of tools, and much more. Imagine rolling up in Telluride and just borrowing a backpack and poles for a hike!
Mesa County
Mesa County libraries in Grand Junction have “take-and-make kits” for all ages available for checkout. The kits are released quarterly with different themes such as “handmade lavender soap for 19+” and “fall leaf hedgehog for little kids, ages 3-5.”
The libraries also have a Library of Things that is fairly tech-heavy with pre-loaded Launchpad tablets for kids and teens, wireless lapel microphones, portable CD and DVD players, LED lights, selfie stick tripods, along with some other old-school items like board games and an activity kit for people living with dementia that includes a painting kit and card game.
Poudre County
The Poudre libraries in Fort Collins and surrounding areas have a “Gadgets & Things” section filled with popular options like crochet kits, telescope kits, FitBits, Chromebooks and more. There are Discover Packs for exploring Larimer County Open Spaces nearby that include maps, a brochure about water safety regulations, a book about wildflowers, and a parking pass. The Curiosity Pass is for use by Poudre River Public Library District resident library card-holders who want to explore local attractions like the Gardens on Spring Creek, the Loveland Museum, the Museum of Art Fort Collins, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, and other places.
Garfield County
Garfield County libraries in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and beyond have their own Library of Things that also include STEM kits for “multisensory learning.” An adult library card-holder needs to be the one checking out the kit and it is for one week only.
The State Parks Pass Kit includes a backpack with the necessary entrance pass, brochures and binoculars. (Be warned: The consequences for not returning this kit are more severe than an overdue book: a lost or stolen kit results in a $150 fine and a possible report to local law enforcement.)
At the Glenwood Springs branch of this library system, you can check out a guitar along with an instructional book to learn how to play and select some favorite new songs.
Pikes Peak libraries
The Pikes Peak Library District in and around Colorado Springs has a seed library. There are six garden locations, and two of these — High Prairie Seed Library and Manitou Seed Library — allow people to check out seeds (three packets per family per month) to grow at home or donate seeds for the collection. There are books (of course!), and classes to help beginner and expert gardeners find their green thumbs.
Boulder
Remember B-cycle? While it has disappeared from Denver streets, it lives on in Boulder, and you can use your library card to check out a bike to get around town. There is a bit of digital paperwork to complete online first, but once you have signed up you can find a docking station through the app and head out on an electric bike thanks to the library.
The Boulder Public Library also has a seed library that includes seed swaps and accepts donations, along with the lending (or giving?) out of native plant, vegetable and herb seeds. In addition, the library has an edible learning garden on site for people to learn more about the seeds.
This post was originally published on here
