By Jill Fuller
When you say the word “library,” what do you think of? Bookshelves? Quiet reading nooks? What about cake pans, knitting needles, or build-your-own-robot kits?
Whether you need outdoor games for your family reunion or a hole saw to finish building that birdhouse, you can save some bucks and borrow them from the library.
Why? Libraries are all about access. Access to information, access to tools, access to resources and expertise … when you walk in the door looking for something, we hope to provide it or find it for you, in order to make your life a little easier.
That’s why the libraries in Jefferson and Waukesha counties have added unique and helpful items to their collections for anyone to use. Each library offers different things, but with your library card, you can search and pick up any item you want, no matter which library owns it.
Ready to take a look at what the libraries have? Let’s start with items that are guaranteed to keep the summer fun going, like free adventure passes that allow your family to visit local zoos or museums. You can borrow family movie kits, projectors, DVD players, or portable movie screens to create your own outdoor movie theater and enjoy a family flick under the stars.
The outdoor fun continues with yard games, like giant checkers and giant Jenga, from the Jefferson Public Library. Want to get even more adventurous? Enjoy time out on the water when you borrow a kayak from Powers Memorial Library in Palmyra or pick up a pair of snowshoes from the Watertown Public Library when the cold weather blows.
In spring, you can start your garden with packets of free seeds from the Dwight Foster Public Library in Fort Atkinson.
Get in touch with your creative side at the library. Make some music on a ukulele, create something new with a craft kit, or dip into fiber arts with knitting and crochet materials for your new fiber project. If you’re looking for something a bit more gadget-y, some libraries have tech items like tablets, GoPro cameras, Fitbits, STEM kits, tools like saws and nail pullers, and more.
Did any of these items catch your eye? Search for the phrase “café library of things” in our online catalog at cafelibraries.org or on the CAFÉ Libraries app to see the full list of unique items. You can also talk to your librarian about how to find an item you want.
Remember, even if your home library doesn’t have an item you want, you can still pick it up or order it because your library card works at all 24 libraries in Waukesha and Jefferson counties.
Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, we think so too. See you at the library!
Jill Fuller is the marketing and communications librarian for the Bridges Library System, of which Jefferson and Waukesha counties’ libraries are members.
Jill Fuller, marketing and communications librarian for the Bridges Library System. File photo/submitted.
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