library of things
~ story and photos by Bob Gustin
Public libraries in America have long been a place where ordinary citizens can share the wealth of a community, borrowing items free of charge, then returning them so others can do the same.
Benjamin Franklin founded the first free lending library in 1790, and since then, the items citizens could borrow have grown from books, documents and periodicals to include vinyl records, videotapes, CDs and DVDs, and finally an array of media accessed electronically, among other things.
That list keeps expanding, and the collection of the Brown County Public Library in Nashville keeps growing with it.
One shelving unit at the library, now titled the“ Library of Things,” offers patrons the ability to check out portable tables and chairs, a sewing machine, reduced admission to statewide attractions, glasses which may allow colors to be seen by those with color blindness, weaving looms and supplies, enough ukuleles to put together a little orchestra, and more.
28 Our Brown County • May / June 2025
The local Library of Things has been available since 2021, Library Director Stori Snyder said.
“ It’ s an expansion of what we’ ve always done,” she said,“ sharing materials with the community.”
The glasses for color-blind people were among the first items offered by the library. She said the glasses are expensive, ranging into the hundreds of dollars, and don’ t work for everyone. But by checking out a pair of them, patrons can try them out and see for themselves before committing to the purchase.
“ One man checked out a pair and came back to say he was able to see colors for the first time. It made him cry,” Snyder said.
Two of the newest items in the collection are a lifelike robotic kitten and puppy. These are not children’ s toys but are intended to be“ companion pets” for older adults with memory problems, including dementia, and can also be checked out by caregivers.
The feline model purrs, blinks its eyes, moves its head, feet and legs, meows, and takes a catnap. The canine counterpart barks and rolls around, blinks and moves about. Both have brushable soft fur, and the library kits come with rechargeable batteries and a charging unit.
The battery-operated pets are a gift to the library from Thrive Alliance. The Columbus-based organization serves as the state’ s Agency on Aging for Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, and Jennings counties.