GETTYSBURG, Pa. — A new program in the Adams County Library System provides community members with non-traditional resources, branching out from just books as part of its new “Library of Things” collection.
“Libraries are more than just books,” said Sara Edmiston, public services director for the Adams County Library System.
Edmiston said the idea for the collection came after the American Heart Association donated 10 blood pressure cuffs for the libraries to circulate in the community.
She recalled, “We really took a look and were like, what else does the community need? What other things can we provide?”
The collection includes items not every household has on-hand, like games, camping supplies, healthcare items, arts and crafts resources, and even tools.
“There's a large renting population in Adams County who may not have tools,” Edmiston said. "You might need to put something together; we have a 46-piece tool kit that you can borrow plus a cordless drill that you can borrow."
Checkout time for the Library of Things is two weeks, the same as checking out a book.
With around 70,000 books in the library’s collection, Edmiston says adding these items to the shelves is another way to support the community.
“We’re more of a community center….Our mission here at the library is to open doors for exploration, so by providing these items it's just another venue for us to be able to do that,” Edmiston said.
York resident Jesse Lanier expressed his interest in a similar program coming to the library he went to as a child.
“I grew up going to the library, the Martin Memorial Library, and I find a lot of things fascinating in there, they’re very helpful. So I definitely would go get a tool kit from there,” he said.
According to Edmiston, creating similar programs at other libraries in central Pennsylvania would be relatively easy after adding the items to the library catalog.
“It took us a while to figure that out, but monetarily wise it wasn’t a huge investment for us,” she said.
Edmiston stated the entire collection only cost the library system $2,000 to purchase the items that now stock the shelves. She explained that the return on the investment has already positively impacted the community.
“And that’s what makes us happy,” she said.