© Copyright 2026 Mastersinlibraryscience.org.
A practitioner's guide to acquisition, cataloging, lending policy, and budgeting
The library has already stopped operating as a warehouse for bound paper. It now works as a shared-resource hub, modern librarian roles in action, where a card gives access to a drill, a seed packet, a telescope, or a synthesizer alongside Libby and Kanopy. A September 28, 2026 Columbia Basin Herald column from the Moses Lake Public Library makes that shift visible, positioning Mango Languages and LinkedIn Learning as core offerings.
For MLIS-trained staff, the harder task is operational: a physical object cannot be cataloged, insured, cleaned, or replaced like a paperback. The gap between a working circulating collection and a storage closet of broken gadgets is set by collection development rules, lending policies, and a return-to-shelf workflow.
Public libraries are steadily widening what counts as a collection item, and the shift is visible even in small-market coverage of what branches offer beyond books. A library of things is a lending collection of useful, non-book objects that patrons borrow with a library card, much like a novel or a DVD. Catalogers have long used the term realia for three-dimensional, real-world objects (models, artifacts, tools) held for instruction or display. The two overlap heavily: a realia collection often becomes a library of things once the objects leave the display case and start circulating.
Not every item deserves the same rules. Seeds and board games are low-risk and high-turnover: they are cheap to replace, easy to check, and rarely cause harm. Power tools and electronics sit at the other end. They cost more, wear out faster, can injure a borrower, and may come back damaged or incomplete. That split shapes nearly every later decision in circulation management: loan periods, deposits, waivers, inspection steps, and insurance.
Digital resources and physical things are not substitutes. As part of the digital transformation in libraries, platforms such as Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, and LinkedIn Learning offer 24/7 access with no shelf space, which suits patrons who cannot visit during open hours. Physical items meet a different need: someone who wants to try a telescope or fix a fence needs the object itself. A strong service portfolio shows both, so patrons see the library as a place to read, learn, and do.
Starting a library of things means choosing a small set of non-book items your community will actually borrow, then building the workflow to lend, clean, and track them before you spend real money. The plan below breaks that work into five stages. Each one ends with something concrete you can hand to a director or library board.
Begin with evidence, not enthusiasm. A short patron survey, offered at the desk, online, and through partner organizations, can ask what people would borrow, how often, and what currently stops them from owning it. Pair those responses with what staff already hear: reference questions about tools, makerspace waitlists, or informal requests at the desk.
Resist the urge to buy everything on the wish list. A pilot of 30 to 75 items across three or four categories (for example, home tools, musical instruments, kitchen equipment, and tech kits) is large enough to show patterns and small enough to manage. Testing demand this way protects the budget before any large purchase.
Write your review rule now, while no one is attached to the collection. Decide which measures count, such as checkouts per item, holds, and damage rates. Then state plainly that any category falling below your threshold after six months will be dropped or reworked.
Non-book items create work that books do not: counting parts at return, cleaning, charging batteries, and flagging repairs, plus routine mold prevention. Assign a lead staff member, map who handles each step at checkout and check-in, and document it.
Space comes next. Bulky items need sturdy shelving, bins, or pegboards. Small parts need labeled containers so kits come back complete. Decide whether items live in public view, which encourages browsing, or behind the desk, which reduces loss.
Open quietly to a limited audience for a few weeks, such as cardholders at one branch or members of partner groups. Watch for confusing labels, missing parts, and checkout bottlenecks, then fix them before wider promotion.
Once the soft launch runs smoothly, announce the collection broadly and start the six-month clock on your review rule.
Score each candidate item from 1 (weak) to 3 (strong) on every criterion below, then compare totals across your wish list. Treat safety, cleanability, and data privacy as pass/fail gates: a low score on any of these should rule an item out no matter how well it does elsewhere.
| Criterion | What to Evaluate | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Community demand | Patron requests, survey results, and local gaps in access (for example, renters or apartment dwellers without storage space for tools or equipment). | The item was chosen because staff find it novel, with no evidence that patrons have asked for it. |
| Durability | Build quality, commercial versus consumer grade, and how many checkouts the item can realistically survive. | Fragile parts, thin plastic housings, or components designed for a single owner's light use. |
| Safety and liability | Blades, heat, fuel, electrical hazards, and whether safe use requires training. Confirm coverage with your insurer or risk manager before purchase. | The item needs certification to operate, runs on gasoline, or falls under a policy exclusion. |
| Cleanability | Whether surfaces can be wiped and sanitized quickly between loans without damaging the item. | Porous or fabric surfaces that touch the mouth or skin, such as instrument mouthpieces without replaceable parts. |
| Completeness and portability | Number of pieces, whether the item fits a standard bin or bag, and whether an average patron can carry it. | Many small loose parts with no checklist or way to verify the kit is complete at return. |
| Maintenance and parts | Availability of consumables (blades, batteries, bulbs), replacement parts, and staff ability to make basic repairs. | Proprietary or discontinued parts, or consumables that cost more over time than the item itself. |
| Total cost of ownership | Purchase price plus cases, accessories, labeling, and a reserve for eventual replacement. | Low sticker price paired with high recurring costs, or no budget line set aside for replacement. |
| Mission and equity fit | How the item supports learning, skill building, creativity, or civic life, and whether it lowers cost barriers for patrons. | It duplicates a free local service or mainly benefits patrons who could already afford it. |
| Data and privacy | Whether the device stores personal information, accounts, or files (tablets, hotspots, cameras) and how easily it can be reset. | No reliable way to factory reset the device or clear a previous borrower's accounts before the next loan. |
A shared bibliographic record or a locally built one: that is the first choice a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian makes for every telescope, hotspot, or guitar entering a library of things. Either path works, as long as the bib record and the item record each do their own job.
Under RDA, the object or kit itself is the resource being described. The bib record covers what the thing is: content, physical characteristics, and components. The item record controls the specific copy. The Ramapo Catskill Library System handbook frames item records as tools for location, circulation, and inventory, not for content or extent.2
Library of Congress RDA training maps content, media, and carrier types to MARC 336, 337, and 338.1 Some systems still show a GMD-style label. NC Cardinal's 2026 guidance uses [kit] with the title in 245$a and a Kit format icon.3 The North Dakota State Library notes that these records may display as "Visual Material," so an alternate title such as "BOARD GAME Yahtzee" helps patrons recognize what they found.4
The CCS Cataloging Manual, which covers telescopes, mobile hotspots, and guitars, says the bib describes the object or kit as a whole and points catalogers to OLAC Best Practices.5 Search OCLC first. If nothing fits, build a local record. Keep loan periods, locations, and inventory details out of the bib entirely. Main Library's 2026 best practices allow a generic bib with the note "models and contents may vary," pushing item specifics into public notes.6
NC Cardinal separates vendor bundles (use the matching record when one exists) from locally assembled kits (unique title, complete contents in 500 or 505). An included book's ISBN can go in 020$z.3 Do not create a separate bib for each component. At the item level, a circulation note such as "1 kit (12 pieces)" or "includes 4 batteries and 1 case" gives staff a checklist at return.2
WebJunction recommends labeling every kit component.7 A 2024 Illinois Library Association overview describes processing staff marking each piece with at least part of the call number or item number.8 For odd shapes:
OC Public Libraries offers search categories for Library of Things, Backpacks, and Board Games, so searches like "guitar library of things" or "Chromebook" land on the right results. Apply the phrase "library of things" consistently in a searchable field or collection code, and write titles in the plain words patrons actually type.
A library of things lending policy is the written set of rules that decides who can borrow a drill or a ukulele, for how long, and who pays when it comes back broken. Most systems keep these rules short and put the risk on the borrower, then pair them with a signed agreement.
Published tool-lending rules cluster around a one-week loan. Oakland1, Berkeley3, Philmont, and LA County Library4 all use 7 days for tools, while Harris County Public Library uses 14. Oakland1 and Harris County do not allow renewals. Instruments often get longer: LA County Library lends musical instruments for 21 days.4
Item limits vary more widely:
Deposits are less common than waivers. Philmont's Tool Library Lending Rules ask for a refundable $15 deposit on items with a replacement cost around $30 to $50, rising to $25 for higher-value items, plus a $5.00 daily late fee. Oakland treats its replacement fee as non-refundable after return.2 Items are typically declared lost after a set window, such as 14 days past the return date at Brooklyn Tool Library or 28 days at LA County.5 Check each system's current policy page before copying a number, since these change.
Brooklyn Public Library requires a liability waiver, and many other libraries use similar language. Typical agreements have the borrower use the item at their own risk, follow manufacturer warnings, accept responsibility while it is in their possession, and reimburse reasonable repair or replacement costs. Some add a release and hold-harmless clause covering the library, the city, and staff, and some exclude indirect or consequential damages.
A waiver allocates risk by contract. It does not prove coverage, and it cannot guarantee that a court will bar every claim, especially for injury. Have the city attorney or risk manager review the wording rather than adapting another library's text unchecked, a standard step in Library Administration & Leadership.
There is no universal association or risk-pool standard that answers this for every library. Whether lending tools and equipment requires a separate policy depends on your municipal liability coverage, and the published policies reviewed here do not say what that coverage includes. Questions to put to your insurer or risk pool in writing:
Tie this decision to your acquisition rubric: any item that scores high on injury potential or repair cost should be restricted or left out. Common candidates are chainsaws, table saws, ladders, pressure washers, and anything gas-powered or requiring training. Many libraries offer safer alternatives, such as hand tools, battery-light drivers, or in-branch use only.
Before launch, confirm coverage with your own insurer or risk pool and get the answer in writing.
Most established programs route returns through staff rather than a drop box. Hayner, Buchanan, and East Hampton public libraries all require items to come back to the circulation desk, which makes a consistent check-in sequence possible:
Build in time. Lindenhurst Memorial Library's Library of Things Policy reserves 24 hours to check in multi-component items and another 24 hours to inspect them before clearing the patron's account. Buchanan keeps the item on the borrower's record until any issue is resolved.1 Cleaning fees, where charged, tend to be modest, such as $5 at Hunterdon County Library and $10 at Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries.45
No national protocol prescribes disinfectants or methods for every category, so follow manufacturer instructions and write a local standard. Practical starting points:
Clear labeled bins keep small parts together. Shadow boards with outlined silhouettes show instantly whether a tool is missing. Lockable cabinets suit high-value tech. Keep batteries away from heat and loose metal objects, and budget for consumables: Buchanan treats replacement batteries and blades as a library expense.1
A simple spreadsheet recording item ID, fault, date, fix, and cost is enough. Over a year it reveals which models fail repeatedly and when cumulative repair costs approach replacement price, which feeds directly into your budget.
WebJunction guidance puts a first selection of items at about $1,0001 and suggests starting with only two or three things if you are building from scratch. Public figures for item-level prices across named library programs are thin, so build your own model from two buckets: startup costs and annual operating costs.
List initial items, shelving or storage, barcodes and labels, software configuration, and the staff hours needed for cataloging. The clearest 2026 example comes from Surf Coast Shire in Australia, which modeled an initial investment of $15,000 covering insurance, tools, and a trailer.5 Its setup budget was about $10,000, including $5,000 paid to an established library of things for management support.
Operating costs cover cleaning supplies, repairs, a replacement reserve, and staff time. Staff time moves the total most. Surf Coast Shire modeled annual operations at $12,610 if fully volunteer-run, $33,660 with a 0.2 FTE coordinator, and $72,560 with a 0.6 FTE coordinator.5 Banff Public Library requested $70,000 a year in tax-funded support for a full-time position, plus about $1,300 for supplies, item replacement, and advertising (2024 through 2026).2
If you budget a salaried position, Shareable's Library of Things Toolkit says an employee typically costs 1.25 to 1.4 times salary once taxes and benefits are counted. A $40,000 salary becomes roughly $50,000 to $56,000. A fiscally sponsored program should also expect a fee of generally 5 to 15 percent of income.
For scale, Shareable's The State of Libraries of Things Report 2024 found 80 percent of libraries of things under $50,000 a year, more than half under $15,000, and 13 percent above $100,000.
WebJunction's rule of thumb is to set aside about 20 percent1 of the item budget for maintenance, replacement parts, and the things you will forget. Treat that as a floor and apply it to the value of the collection each year. A $10,000 collection would carry a $2,000 reserve.
I could not verify published useful-life figures by category. Rather than guess, log repairs, losses, and retirements by category (power tools, instruments, technology, kitchen equipment) for the first year. Then set replacement cycles from your own data.
Grants, Friends groups, and local partners can all carry startup costs. A federally supported "We the Makers" project at BBFLPL had a total budget of $7,000 for FY2025-26.3 IMLS's Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program lists awards of $75,000 to $1,000,000 for FY20264 but it is a possible source for workforce-focused projects, not a library of things budget example. Partnership models are treated more fully in the next section.
Staff time drives the real cost of lending non-book items.
A library of things only works when staff can explain every item in under two minutes, so training has to be built into the intake process rather than added later.
Keep the routine the same for every item so it scales as the collection grows:
Patrons need instruction at the point of checkout, not after something breaks. Quick-start cards packed with the item cover the first ten minutes of use. In-person demonstrations suit higher-risk or higher-value items, such as power tools or audio equipment. A QR code on the card or container can link to a short how-to video, which helps borrowers who check out items when staff are busy or the branch is closed.
Partnerships are one form of library community engagement that can stock a collection, but they should not set its direction. Published case material on libraries of things describes a wide range of arrangements. London's Library of Things operates as a community hub, working with councils, housing associations, and businesses; it lists brand partners such as Bosch and Kärcher.4 Šiauliai County in Lithuania offers more than 200 items free through a public-library initiative. Volunteer-run models, such as the Sydney tool library, rely on community labor2, while Surf Coast Shire's community-run collections have drawn local council grants.3 Shareable's 2024 report lists schools, nonprofits, and government institutions as common partners, with Habitat for Humanity as one named example, and notes that local businesses and national brands can sponsor collections.56
The sources reviewed do not offer a standard donation checklist, so write your own screening policy covering condition, completeness, and safety. Have electrical items checked by someone qualified before they circulate, since that standard is not established in the research.
One rule keeps the collection coherent: every donated item must pass the same acquisition rubric a collection development librarian would apply to a purchased item. A generous gift that fails on durability, demand, or liability exposure should be politely declined, or redirected to a partner who can use it.
Circulation counts tell one story; equity and service reporting tell another. The first shows whether items leave the building. The second shows whether the collection is reaching the right people, staying in usable condition, and giving a library board or city council a reason to keep funding it.
For a library of things, track six numbers each month: turns per item, hold queue length, share of new cardholders, reach by branch or neighborhood, repair rate, and loss rate. A basic turns figure is monthly checkouts divided by items in the collection. Compare that number against the same library over time rather than against another system, because 2026 reporting is mostly local and does not follow one national standard.
Local reports show how varied these signals can be. Grand County Library District cited a 22.1% circulation increase in April 2026 over April 20251 and 360 library-of-things checkouts in July 2026.2 Richland Library reported that 64% of nontraditional circulation came from just 6.5% of items in September 2026.3 Buffalo Public Library ranked a collection category first after adjusting for museum passes.4 Indianapolis Public Library's pilot cited more than $45,000 in patron savings.5 These are useful comparisons, not fixed national benchmarks.
Add checks that circulation data hides: Are items too heavy or awkward for some borrowers? Do deposits or replacement fees create a paywall? Are high-demand things concentrated in one branch or hold queue? Track first-time borrowers by branch, ask staff what barriers patrons describe, and test whether lowering a deposit or adding a nearby pickup point changes who borrows.
Columbia Basin Herald's September 28, 2026 column Baring Our Shelves: There's more than just books at the library described Moses Lake Public Library staff presenting programming, outreach, and 2025 data and trends to the city council on September 22. The presentation reported a significant reduction in incidents and trespasses in 2025 and 2026 compared to 2024. That report was about the whole library, not a library of things, but it models the right frame: pair promotional campaigns such as Library Card Sign-up Month and the partner-run Early Learners Literacy Fair with 24/7 digital access through NCW Libraries, then show elected officials the service portfolio and safety trend together.
A one-page annual report for a council could list: top five circulating items, turns per item, hold queue length, new-cardholder share, branch or neighborhood reach, repair and loss rates, one equity change made, and one community partnership gained or renewed.
