Rhode Island’ s public libraries house everything from ghost-hunting kits and museum passes to movie binge boxes and ESL classes— and all you need is a library card. By Dana Laverty

Throughout the digital age, libraries have adapted and grown with the times, in many cases serving as de facto community centers instead of just book-lending institutions. Most branches now offer audio and electronic books, movies via streaming services, museum passes, music and more. Many also have a library of things, where you can check out cool gadgets like video game systems, metal detectors, musical instruments, telescopes and Cricut machines.

There are seventy-one public libraries in the Ocean State Libraries’ system, each with its own creative offerings. And nothing’ s stopping you from visiting them all! Don’ t want to travel? If your local branch doesn’ t have what you need, your librarian can have the item shipped to your library for pickup in a matter of days through the interlibrary loan system. Every branch is listed on the website: oslri. org

GET CARDED Anyone who lives in or pays property taxes in Rhode Island is eligible for a library card. Head to your local library or visit oslri. org / application to fill out an application.

LIBRARIES OF THINGS See below for some unexpected gadgets and gizmos you can borrow from your local library. Visit the library’ s website for a more detailed list.

Barrington Public Library: GoPro camera, binoculars, metal detector, radon detector, outdoor movie screen, pickleball set.

Coventry Public Library: Ghost-hunting kit, giant Jenga set, lawn games, fishing poles, microscope, ukuleles, telescope, wildilife camera.

Newport Public Library: Allen wrenches, sewing machine, shoe stretchers, clothes steamer, bike locks, air fryer, air compressor.

Weaver Public Library, East Providence: Cornhole set, CD player, Cricut cutting machine, telescope, popcorn machine.

MUSEUM PASSES A smattering of reduced-cost museum and attraction passes can be found at local libraries.( Each library varies; visit a branch’ s website to see exact offerings.) If your local library doesn’ t have the museum pass you are looking for, you may visit a library that does.

• Audubon Environmental Education Center

• Audrain Automobile Museum

• Battleship Cove

• Boston Children’ s Museum

• Buttonwood Park Zoo

• Herreshoff Marine Museum

• International Tennis Hall of Fame

• Mashantucket Pequot Museum

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

• Museum of Science, Boston

• Mystic Seaport Museum

• Newport Art Museum

• New Bedford Whaling Museum

• New England Aquarium, Boston

• Norman Bird Sanctuary

• Providence Children’ s Museum

• RISD Museum

• Roger Williams Park Zoo

• Save the Bay’ s Hamilton Family Aquarium