Library of Things

Libraries of things expand the concept of libraries to include tools, equipment, and other objects that are easily shareable, expensive, or infrequently needed. They are a growing trend in many countries. Our small library of things currently include equipment for home learning. We welcome the public's input in what things to collect for circulation.

Inventory

• AWB OneSky Reflector Telescope. This Dobsonian telescope is easy to carry and set up and perfect for beginners. Take this on a camping trip or for use in your backyard. Look for stargazing guides in our Learning Zone collection to help you find and identity celestial objects.
   
• Happy Atoms. This award-winning system lets users discover the world of molecules in an intuitive and hands-on way. The set includes 50 atom models, representing 16 different elements, that easily connect with magnets. Take a picture of a molecule that you've created. The Happy Atoms app will then identify and provide in-depth information about the molecule.
   
• Omano OM36 Compound Student Microscope. Appropriate for high school and above. View slides with 40x to 1000x magnification. Look for sets of prepared slides in the Learning Zone.
   
• Omano JuniorScope. This microscope has simple controls and is appropriate for young users with supervision. The microscope comes with prepared slides. Additional kid-friendly slides are available in the Learning Zone. You can also view small objects with this microscope. Activity sheets are included for guided learning.
   
• Walter Products B-300-W-0 Triple Beam Balance. This is a beam balance scale with tare, for weighing objects up to 2,610 grams. Great for baking too!

Acknowledgment

These items were purchased with grant funding from the RI Office of Library and Information Services to expand our learning resources for homeschoolers and others in the community. Please see our Equipment Lending Policy for information about borrowing equipment with your library card.