A List of Things to Rent from Your Local Library That's NOT Books

Libraries have had a special place in our culture. Traditionally, a place to find knowledge and entertainment in the form of books. But over the decades, access to books have become easier and easier, forcing libraries to adapt to the changing technological society. They are still a great place to find some peace and quiet, a computer and Internet access if you need it, various classes and programs, but what else do libraries have to offer? Quite a bit, actually, and they may be things you’d NEVER think you can find at your local branch!

I asked this question on our social media pages, and these are some of the answers.

Fishing poles
3-D Printers (usually costs around 20 cents per gram)
VR Headsets
VHS-to-Digital video conversion
Radon testing kits
Telescopes
DSLR Cameras
GoPro Cameras
Museum/Zoo passes
EnChroma Color Blind Glasses
A green screen (for shooting video)
Audio recording/production studios (lookin’ at you, musicians and podcasters)
“adventure backpacks for the kids”
Paranormal Investigation Kits
Embroidery Machine (may need to purchase accessories and bring your own thread)
T-shirt printing machines
Gimbals
Night vision binoculars
Musical Instruments
Photography Lighting Kits
A “car code scanner” (which I assume is to see why your check engine light is on).
Craft supplies
Novelty cake pans
tablets preloaded with educational apps for kids
Metal detectors
A machine to convert photography negatives into digital files
plant seeds
gardening tools
Yoga classes
Video games and systems
Board games
Jigsaw puzzles

Now obviously, not EVERY library has ALL of those things. This is just to show you how libraries have evolved to supply its citizens with a wide range of goods and services. I encourage you to check out your local library…you may be surprised at what you find!