There’s nothing like a trip to the Canby Public Library. You can check out the latest from your favorite authors, expand your horizons with the hottest new nonfiction, and pick up a rake or a pair of binoculars while you’re at it.
That’s right: In 2019, Canby will be one of eight Clackamas County libraries piloting the “Library of Things” program. The program, which is a partnership with the county’s Sustainability and Solid Waste program, will add musical instruments, cooking pans and utensils, board games and more to the list of items that can be checked out from the local library.
Hillsboro Public Library opened a Library of Things in 2015, starting with board games. It now hosts over 200 items—including an air fryer, karaoke machine, and VHS to DVD converters. This past summer, Beaverton City Library also opened a Library of Things.
A Library of Things helps promote a more sustainable community. Stacy Luddington with the Sustainability and Solid Waste program, says, “These collections support a growing trend of people downsizing and decluttering their lives from the ‘stuff’ we tend to accumulate.”
Residents can take a survey to offer feedback about what types of items they would like to check out at their local library at www.bit.ly/LibraryofThingsInput. Surveys can also be completed at local libraries.