A growing number of public libraries maintain "library of things" collections, from drills to camping gear.The idea extends the library's core mission — shared access over individual ownership — to items people use rarely but need occasionally. Patrons check out a pressure washer or a telescope the same way they'd borrow a novel, returning it a week later. Librarians say the programs draw in visitors who rarely used the book collection, introducing them to the library's other services along the way.
