Library of things

A library of things is any collection of objects loaned, and any organization that practices such loaning. Objects often include kitchen appliances, tools, gardening equipment and seeds, electronics, toys and games, art, science kits, craft supplies, musical instruments, and recreational equipment such as sports and outdoors gear. Especially appropriate are objects that are useful occasionally but cumbersome to store, such as specialized cookware or niche technology items. Collections vary widely, but go far beyond the books, journals, and media that have been the primary focus of traditional libraries.

The library of things movement is a growing trend in public, academic and special libraries in many countries. There are also free-standing organizations separate from libraries, such as tool libraries, toy libraries, community sharing centers, independent non-profits, and individual initiatives. The term "Library of Things" was popularized in the United Kingdom by a grassroots experiment started in London in 2014, themselves inspired by Toronto Tool Library. In the U.S., a librarian in Sacramento, California, came up with a similar idea and the same name in 2013. The Sacramento program attracted substantial media coverage and inspired numerous copycats.

The Share Shed (Totnes, UK) is developing the first mobile library of things. Collections are often supported by educational programming and public events. These borrowing centers and library collections are part of the sharing economy.

In Wales, Benthyg Cymru have developed a network to support each other sharing knowledge not just things.

The library of things trend isn't entirely modern. In 1894, library patrons in St. Louis, Missouri, could borrow tennis rackets and board games. Other early examples of non-book items available for checkout from libraries include framed paintings (1904 in Newark, New Jersey), piano rolls (1907 in Evanston, Illinois), and stereoscopes (1909 in Portland, Oregon). In 1936, the Los Angeles Public Library added 7,126 used toys to its catalog.

Art rentals are being made available for library patrons for borrowing prints, posters, paintings, and other visual art. Additionally, many libraries of things are adding arts and crafts equipment and supplies for use in the library or for check out. Crafting tools may include sewing machines, knitting kits, die-cutters, papercraft tools, jewelry repair and embroidery kits, scrapbooking supplies, and button makers.

Libraries have been lending electronics like e-readers, tablets, and laptops for quite some time already, but are now expanding the range of electronics that they lend through the library of things. Electronics offerings have expanded to include mobile hot spots, projectors, scanners, GoPros, graphics tablets, digital and film cameras, video games, converters (vinyl, cassette, and VHS to digital files), green screens, and video cameras.

Instrument collections have been brought in to libraries, often accompanied by sheet music, tuners, amps, and educational resources. The Free Library of Philadelphia launched its Musical Instrument Collection (MIC) in 2016, and lending includes an electric guitar, mandolin, electric bass, ukulele, acoustic-electric guitar, and a banjo. Lopez Island Library in Lopez Island, Washington introduced a musical instrument "petting zoo", which includes instruments like acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, cello, clarinet, flugelhorn, French horn, electric keyboard, recorder, ukulele, viola and violin. In Oregon, The Jackson County Library Services Library of Things music collection includes a table top electric drum set and a kalimba thumb piano. Music Broth in Scotland has as of 2024 around 3000 instruments. Beginning in Glasgow in 2017, its library includes everything from guitars to ouds, домра/domra, violins, dulcimers, and electronic music equipment, all the way up to events equipment.