Finding Your New Thing: Seminole County Public Library Launches a Library of Things

In 2024, Seminole County Public Library began offering blood pressure kits and birding backpacks for library users to borrow. The blood pressure monitors and backpacks for birdwatchers were such big hits that we began brainstorming this year about other things our community members might like to check out, all free of charge.

We are delighted to announce the official launch of our highly anticipated Library of Things.

Our goal was to offer items that are educational or provide enrichment but may be cost-prohibitive to purchase. We wanted to foster our community’s curiosity and enthusiasm about science, history, music, and more by allowing them to borrow these things at no charge. All the items in our Library of Things were generously funded by Seminole County Friends of the Library, a nonprofit organization.

So, what kinds of things can you now check out from the Library?

TELESCOPES: We have five Sky-Watcher telescopes available to borrow. Learn to look at the night sky in a whole new way as you examine the craters of the moon up close or learn how to spot our neighboring planets. We are grateful to the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College for helping us select high-quality telescopes that are simple for beginners to use.

UKULELES: Each ukulele kit comes with a tuner, a chord chart, and a couple of instructional books to help you start playing if you never have before. We have 10 kits to check out. With only four strings, the ukulele is a beginner-friendly instrument that is easy to learn. You’re sure to be strumming in no time.

OZOBOTS: These miniature robots are perfect for practicing basic coding concepts with kids. Use different colored markers to code instructions for the Ozobot and watch it perform the coded moves. We have 10 Ozobot kits to check out.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS: We have 26 American Girl dolls representing all eras of American history to borrow. Each comes with a juvenile fiction book starring the corresponding American Girl. These dolls and books often generate strong interest among children in learning more about history because the kids are experiencing it from the perspective of protagonists who are their age.

You can request to borrow any of these things by visiting SeminoleLibrary.org and clicking on My Library Account/Catalog. Then search telescope, ukulele, Ozobot, or American Girl doll. We hope you enjoy these items and learn something new while using them.

Also, the Library’s birding backpacks and blood pressure kits are now officially part of the Library of Things. Other items will be added soon, including mah-jongg game sets. Let the fun, learning, and games begin!

Sara White is the Youth Services Senior Librarian at the Seminole County Public Library.