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Toolkit of Things

Team Marigolds

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Rita Banellis, Jessica Paciotti, Tamelee Young & Beth Zak-Cohen

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Why Library of Things

In the wake of the growing trend of adding non traditional items to library collections, it is Team Marigolds’ goal to develop a workable blueprint on how to implement a Library of Things. The toolkit will provide resources for libraries of all sizes to consider when developing their Library of Things. The toolkit will detail how to organize collections, manage materials, material examples, possible resources, and promotion of collections.

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Materials

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Game (Outdoor & Indoor)

Home

Bocce Ball Set

Nintendo Switch

Croquet Set

Cornhole Game Set

Stud Finder

Thermal Leak Detector

Cake Pan

Garment Steamer

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Hobbies

Technology

Metal Detector

Binoculars

Jewelry Tool Kit

Sewing Machine

Virtual Reality Set

Digital Microscope

GoPro Camera

Digital Film Scanner

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Auto

Entertainment

Projector

Garmin GPS

Air Compressor

Karaoke Machine

Portable Charger and Car Jump Starter

Car Code Reader

Podcast Equipment Bundle

Vinyl Record Player

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Examples of LoT in NY

Great Neck Public Library

https://www2.museumkey.com/things/byThing/?code=greany11023&branchID=240

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Levittown Public Library

https://levittownpl.org/libraryofthings/

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Center Moriches Free Public Library

https://centermoricheslibrary.org/books-movies-more/library-of-things/

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Tompkins County Library

https://www.tcpl.org/library-things

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Onondaga Free Library

https://oflibrary.org/check-it-out/library-of-things/

Middle Country Library

https://www.mcplibrary.org/library-of-things/

Elting Memorial Library

https://www.eltinglibrary.org/librarythings

Guilderland Public Library

https://guilderlandlibrary.org/lot-landing-page/

Oyster-Bay East Norwich Public Library

https://www.oysterbaylibrary.org/library-of-things/

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Organizational Concerns

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Ask Questions

What kind of items do we want to lend?

What department/person will be in charge of lending the items?

What are the risks of lending these items?

How can policies limit these risks?

Tip

Brainstorm answers to these questions with multiple staff members! This creates buy-in as well as helps to generate more ideas.

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Policies

  1. General LoT policy - use your library’s Circulation/Lending policy as a guide.
  2. Item specific policies - fishing poles will probably have different rules from a baking dish.
  3. Fee schedules - It is useful to have a separate fee schedule for staff reference as well as general information
  4. Liability concerns - Some LoT items might have specific liability issues, like wifi hotspots. Consider consulting with a lawyer about the library’s responsibilities

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Policy Examples

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Staffing and Management

  • Libraries should decide on a particular person or department to be in charge of administration and organization of your LoT.
  • Create a manual of checkin/checkout procedures for each item.

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  • Check out
    • What parts are included with this item?
    • What contracts/policies need patron information/signatures?
  • Check In
    • What parts need to be checked?
    • Do the items need to be in a particular condition? Cleaned/charged/ect.
    • Does this kit need to be restocked?
      • If restock items are low who should be notified?
  • Storage
    • Where is this item stored?
    • If there are issues with this item where should it go/who should be notified?
    • Should it be stored in a particular condition?

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LoT Procedure Examples

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Management of Materials

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Space Assessment

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Materials Management

  • Does Your Library Have Space?
  • Where Will You Store Your Materials?
  • What does my Community Need?

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Library of Things

  1. Coordination from every department is a must.
  2. Community needs assessment. What do people want?
  3. Start small.
  4. Keep all costs in a spreadsheet.
  5. Create a Marc Record with enticing description.
  6. Check in and check out is only at the circulation desk and all materials must be Checked in.
  7. If space permits, Create a display.
  8. Funding - grants, fundraising, donations - donated deed of gift- let all know that the library has the right to use as it is.

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Management of Circulation

Library of Things Agreement

When circulating Library of Things make sure to have an agreement with the patron.

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Materials Management

Library of things Agreement

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My signature below indicates that I have read the following statement and that I agree to abide by these conditions of use when checking out materials from the Library of Things collection.

  • I agree to accept full responsibility for the material while it is checked out to me.
  • I will pay a late fee of $______per day if I fail to return material to the library’s circulation desk by the time it is due.
  • I accept full financial liability for the material and all accessories while in my possession.
  • I agree to pay all costs (including full replacement cost) associated with damage to, loss of, or theft of the material and accessories while it is checked out to me.
  • I agree to return Library of Things material to a staff member inside the library.
  • Library is not responsible for personal injury, loss or damage.

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Patron Name____________________________________________________

Patron Barcode_________________________________________________

Email____________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________

Phone Number_________________________________________________

Staff Initials_____________________________________________________

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Materials Management

Tips for Management

  • Stay away from legalities.
  • Manage repairs and cleaning.
  • All materials should have clear directions and staff should know how to use.
  • Maintenance is consistent.

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Promotion & Outreach

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Social Media.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are great ways to promote the library.

Tip

Follow other community organizations to gain traction.

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Social media trends can be useful.

Tip

During National Library Week ALA encourages sharing unique services offered by libraries.

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Examples

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Consider Video

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Flyers and Newsletters

For community members who may not have Wifi Access, flyers and newsletters can make information more accessible.

Tip

Canva offers free accounts for non-profits which can help you edit graphics for social media, flyers, and newsletters.

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Examples

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Community Partnerships

Reach out to schools, senior citizen centers, politicians and others in the community to share your promotional materials and for programming.

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Possible Examples

  • Have outside groups or schools come on trips to learn about the Library of Things.
  • Partner with a group that specializes in the items you are lending. E.g. have a sewing group teach patrons how to use the sewing machine, have the community garden come in to teach residents how to plant seeds.
  • Survey the community about what items they’d like to see added.

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Programming

Considering working with the community or alone to create programs using and promoting your Library of Things materials.

Tip

Show how your solution helps the person in �the story reach his or �her goals.

Tip

Reach out to your local library association to see what programs other libraries have done.

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Princeton, NJ

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Jackson Co, OR

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Brooklyn, NY

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Thank you for listening to our presentation on Libraries of Things!

We hope we’ve inspired you to go out and start your own!

Questions?