04/09/24
You typically imagine people visit the library to checkout books, right? Well, not anymore! What if you could go to the library and checkout a ukulele? Or even a pickleball set? Visiting Summit County and need a local topo map and hiking poles? The Summit County Library now has those for checkout too!
In May of 2023, Summit County Library rolled out its Library of Things. Increasingly, libraries are exploring opportunities for creative sharing. Libraries have found that this is a clever and successful way to make themselves even more relevant and useful to our community. Curious to learn more? The many ways that libraries are not just all about books anymore is discussed in “Palaces for the People", which examines how social infrastructure, or public spaces, can help mitigate a variety of social problems.*
Summit County is a wonderful place to explore the outdoors and enjoy adventures of all kinds, so library staff carefully considered what kinds of items we could loan out to make patron’s experiences here in the mountains, as a guest or a local, better. How about hiking poles, a bird guiding kit with binoculars, or a frisbee disc golf kit?
Along with our new novelties, we also continue to loan out the popular Colorado State Park passes, and pleased to be partnering with the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department to loan out Quandary Peak parking permits from June - September.
Need a laptop for the day? All three of our locations offer an in-house HP laptop for day use. Winter’s gloomy days getting you down? Set up one of a Verilux Happy Light to soak a daily dose of sunshine while you enjoy some time relaxing in the library.
If you want to drop by the library to borrow books, DVDs or magazines,or borrow from our digital collection, we certainly welcome you. But if you want to check out the celestial heavens with a high-powered Celestron telescope, we’re offering that too!
Delve into our items for check out, listed below or come by the Main Library in Frisco to take a look and ask staff for more details:
Book Club Kits:
These can be put on hold. Please order them by clicking the catalog link.
The Overstory by Kevin Powers-5 copies
Fairy Tale by Stephen King- 4 copies
Verity by Colleen Hoover- 6 copies
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo- Taylor Jenkins Reid-5 copies
The It Girl by Ruth Ware -6 copies
We have only just begun our collection, and we are looking forward to growing it! (See below for information on how to donate)
Show your photo id and a valid library card (with no fees) at the Main Library Circulation Desk. Staff will have you sign a Library of Things patron agreement in order to check out equipment or kits. This will be kept on file for you to check out future items.
Patron Agreement in English
Patron Agreement in Spanish
We are just rolling it out at the Main Library in Frisco to start and hope that due to popularity we will expand to Breckenridge and Silvethorne in the future.
You may have two Things checked out at a time. The lending period is up to 14 days on Things. (Some items are only a 1 week checkout) Things may not be renewed.
Yes, items can be placed on 24-hour reserve by calling the Main Library. You will not be able to place a hold yourself through the online catalog, but you can see if items are available.
Anyone who has a Summit County Library Card in good standing (no fees and not expired), is over 18 years old and has completed the patron lending agreement may use the Library of Things.
Please return the Thing you checked out to the Main Library circulation desk so they can check everything is included. We are open 9am-6pm Monday-Thursday or 9am-5pm Friday & Saturday. (Only the Quandary Parking pass can be out in the outdoor book drop after hours.)
We no longer have late fines on our items. However, if you do not return the item within 2 weeks or return it damaged, you will be billed the replacement cost of the item. Learn more about our Fine Free system here.
Have ideas or items you wish to donate to our collection? Call or email: Rebecca or 970-668-4131.
The Main Library is looking for:
*“Palaces for the People How social infrastructure can help fight inequality, polarization and the decline of civic life” By Eric Klinenberg
