Borrow more than books at Maine public libraries
Check out anything from musical instruments to microscopes from Maine’s Libraries of Things
For wide-eyed,budding biologists: a microscope, slides and book kit. PHOTO COURTESY OF SKIDOMPHA PUBLIC LIBRARY, DAMARISCOTTA.
By June Donenfeld
I FELL IN LOVE with libraries early in life. There was a small one at school, but it paled in comparison to my local public library. Inside its walls of brick and stone, the atmosphere was at once serene and exciting, with its acres of book-filled aisles, the thrilling promise of other worlds and times to discover in its tomes and a helpful staff of librarians who seemed to know everything there was worth knowing.
If you had told me then that, one day, public libraries would offer anything from musical instruments to museum passes to endless opportunities for research at the touch of a button, you might well have gotten a disbelieving eyeroll from my tween self. But if you’re living in Maine, all you need is a library card to take advantage of rich resources unimaginable even a decade ago.
One of these resources is part of a growing trend in libraries nationwide: Libraries of Things, collections of non-book items, like tools, games, science kits, gardening equipment, musical instruments, cooking equipment and more. At a whopping current count of 637 items, as listed in Minerva, Maine’s shared statewide library database, Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick may well get the prize for Maine’s largest Library of Things, but other libraries across the state are also starting them, too, or beefing up their current collections.
Here are some highlights from Maine’s Libraries of Things:
Have you—or your kids—been bitten by the astronomy bug? The public libraries in Bangor, Portland, Scarborough (and more) can help you scratch that itch, with telescopes or night sky viewing packs there for the borrowing.
Want to try your hand at making pickles? Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick has a fermenting crock (complete with weights!) you can take home to make your very own batch of good and good-for-you fermented vegetables.
Are your kids ready for some new and diverting activities, but they’re not in the budget right now? Try one (or more) of Camden Public Library’s 25 Discovery Kits, themed bags and backpacks that can all be checked out for two weeks at a time. Crammed with books and activities, youngsters can explore the worlds of dinosaurs, pirates, fairies, airplanes, sea life and much more, without leaving home.
Curious to see how much electricity each of your home appliances uses? Like most, if not all, of Maine’s public libraries, Skidompha Public Library in Damariscotta has you covered, with Kill-a-Watt energy monitors to take home and plug in. And if trying out a new musical instrument sounds appealing, they have ukuleles on tap, too.
See the world through your dog's eyes with a GoPro canine harness kit. PHOTO COURTESY OF PORTLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Intrigued by the idea of how your dog sees the world? Check out the GoPro canine harness with camera mount at the Boothbay Memorial Library.
Eager to introduce your children to the joys of books on tape? Borrow an audio player made just for kids from the Lewiston Public Library—no internet or downloads required.
For outdoor sports lovers, Norway Memorial Library has snowshoes in children’s and adults’ sizes you can borrow for tromping through Maine’s wintry woods. Millinocket Memorial Library does, too, and offers even more through their Katahdin Gear Library, where area residents can also borrow skis and fat tire bikes free, and visitors can become members for a low annual rate and enjoy the same benefits.
Curious about 3D printers? Camden Public Library has one that can print small, light objects of all sorts. There is no fee to use the machine, and just a nominal one for the plant-based plastic filament needed. (Given the cost and complexity of the machine, only library staff operate it, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to what you can print out, with many design resources listed on their website to help you get started.)
Physical objects are not the only “things” available to public library patrons these days. The Lithgow Public Library in Augusta or the Portland Public Library are just two of many that offer park and museum passes to places like the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the Farnsworth Museum, Maine Wildlife Park, the Portland Museum of Art, Portland Stage, Maine State Parks and the Southworth Planetarium. And some, like the libraries in Ellsworth, Kennebunk, Lewiston and Scarborough, offer film streaming through the excellent Kanopy service, which features high-quality films from all over the world that you just can’t find on Netflix.
Free-access databases and other learning opportunities are also available through public libraries, from foreign language and software tutorials to genealogy services. They also have an abundance of programming for all ages and interests, from Lego Clubs to film series to monthly meetings of groups like the Skidompha Salon: Scribblers & Sketchers United, which hosts gatherings for writers and artists in the community so they can meet likeminded people and let their creative juices flow.
Maine libraries are always searching for ways to support, engage and bring their communities together across the generational spectrum. Not all libraries offer all the services highlighted here, but if you live outside the catchment area of a library you want to use regularly, some will issue you a card for free if you are a teacher or student within the town. And if you’re not, you can likely become a member for a nominal yearly fee. Policies vary, so if you’re not sure what any Maine library has to offer, or don’t see what you’re looking for on their websites, just ask. They’ll be happy to help—and you’ll be even happier you did.
The brimming Library of Things at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. COURTESY PHOTOS
On the cover: Judi steps out of a cabin in the 100-Mile Wilderness to fresh falling snow.