Scituate library director previews expanded Library of Things; children's collection to launch in July

Scituate Town Library Director Jessie Finney on Thursday walked residents through the library's "Library of Things," a circulating collection of technology, hobby, recreational and household items designed to give patrons access to tools they might not want to buy outright.

Finney said the collection includes technology such as hotspots and Chromebooks, a podcasting kit and a green screen, along with STEM items like Ozobots and Makey Makey. "In addition to things like hotspots and Chromebooks which you can come and check out we also have fun things like a podcasting kit," she said.

The director emphasized maker- and hobby-oriented gear as well. "We also have a Cricut," Finney said, describing the die-cut machine used for crafts and iron-on T-shirt designs. The collection also features sports and outdoor equipment; Finney noted the library's freshwater fishing rods "we got right here in town at Bellsons with a grant from the Scituate Education Foundation a few years ago," most of which include tackle boxes.

Recreational items include an inflatable one-person kayak (the library plans to add a two-person kayak), inflatable paddleboards, a beach shade pop-up tent and a range of lawn games such as bucket golf, giant checkers and giant Jenga. For more utilitarian needs, Finney listed items including a seeder, a postal and luggage scale, an infrared thermometer and a portable projector.

Patrons currently can consult a large binder at the front desk that lists all Library of Things items and a bulletin board highlighting popular items; Finney said the library will update its website so the collection becomes searchable online. "We are going to be updating our website soon so that all of these will also be available there," she said.

Finney framed the announcement as local expansion and community access. "Lastly, this is sort of breaking news for us, but in July, we're going to be launching a children's library of things," she said, adding the project is "sponsored by the Scituate Education Foundation" and "a year in the making." She said the children's offering will begin with about 20 items and the library expects to roll out roughly 70 items to the community over the next few months.

All Library of Things items circulate for one week; Finney asked borrowers to return items "in good condition, clean, dry," especially equipment used on water or lawns. She encouraged residents to visit the library to view the binders and see examples of items in the children's room when the new collection debuts.

The library did not provide specific launch dates beyond "July" or additional operational details about the website rollout during the presentation. For now, patrons are invited to check the binder at the front desk or watch for the upcoming website update to see item availability.