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Beginning in 2018 "Ruth's Neighborhood" entries were also posted on Ruth's FACEBOOK page where her entries (usually weekly, on Sunday mornings) lead to lively conversations.

This Page: January - March 2026

NH LIBRARIES OF THINGS

January 4, 2026

       The January/February issue of NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE has arrived and when I saw in the table of contents an article about “Community: ‘Library of things’ collections let patrons borrow toys, games, tools, outdoor gear and more,” I went immediately to this, much amused.

Written by Megan Rogers, the article (titled “Borrow a Book or a Bubble Machine”) begins:
 
       “At the local library, you can find books. You can also find a paper shredder and a label maker to tackle organizing projects. A karaoke machine to liven up a birthday party. A puppet theater with six adorable wild animal creatures to check out when grandkids visit.
       “Welcome to the library of things.
       “Games, outdoor gear and kitchen and household items might not be the items you think of when you think of a library, but libraries across the state are increasingly adding unusual and useful items to their catalogs. These library of things collections allow patrons to try out new products before buying their own, borrow tools they’ll only need a  few times a year and pursue new hobbies.”
The article continues:
       “ . . .  Across the state, many libraries started their library of things collections with telescopes provided by the New Hampshire Astronomical Society. Through its library telescope program, the organization has been placing telescopes in libraries in New Hampshire and beyond since 2008.
       “That’s how the Nashua program got its start, with both a telescope and a ukulele donation from a local music group.
“Recently, library patrons started asking for more items to check out, says Jennifer McCormack, library director. In September 2024, the library of things collection launched with 26 items. Today, the collection features 51 items.
       “‘One of the most popular items in our collection is our cat. We have an animatronic cat. It’s our companion pet cat. It’s basically a toy cat. It purrs. It moves a little bit. It’s used with dementia patients,’ McCormack says. ‘Many, many families have borrowed it. That’s something that’s a good example of using the library of things for a try before you buy.’
        . . . “Howe Library in . . . the same town as Dartmouth College, has also lent out one non-book item since before its library of things collection was created: art prints.
       “For more than 30 years, the library has loaned framed art prints. Patrons can browse through two large wooden bins near the circulation desk.”

Art prints! This brought back to me the early 1970s when Don and I were living in Farmington, NH, and the library in nearby Rochester loaned framed art prints. After we discovered this we designated a location on one wall in our house for a different print each time we went to the library. And we laughed, remembering how we’d splurged on some Toulouse-Lautrec prints to decorate the walls of our apartment in the Keene Teachers’ College married students’ barracks. These prints weren’t framed; we thumbtacked them.

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