5 Things You Didn't Know You Can Rent from the Library

Preparing for a camping trip requires some gear, such as tents, sleeping bags, boots, and backpacks. However, many of us only go camping a few times a year.

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Wouldn't it be convenient to borrow the gear you need for the trip? Throughout the country, there are libraries and lending institutions that offer short-term loans of camping gear and other items that you may only need for a few days or hours.

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Rent camping gear to save money and reduce waste

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The Millinocket Memorial Library rents mountain bikes, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards during spring, summer, and fall, and skis and snowshoes in winter on rent. It provides an option to rent by the day or week, and the membership costs $45 per year. Some other libraries also allow you to reserve a telescope or set of binoculars.

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The Outdoors Empowered Network runs 20 gear libraries across the U.S. that are stocked with gear like sleeping bags and pads, tents, boots, rain and fleece layers, backpacking packs, and cooking kits for its members.

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Rent tools to declutter your home and reduce landfill waste

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Tool lending libraries across the country are not-for-profit networks where community members can rent tools and reduce the wastage created by producing new ones. Members get access to an inventory of over 3,300 tools, and they can at least rent five tools at a time for a week. Check out the Local Tool Network for tool libraries near you.

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Try out a musical instrument before buying it

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Some public libraries, like the Nashville Library, have a variety of instruments available for loan, including ukuleles, lyre harps, lap harps, xylophones, electric piano keyboards, handbells, and bongo drums. You could rent them out for three weeks, with the option to renew once. That’s enough time to know if you are committed.

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Get free access to museums and state parks

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Some libraries provide free admission to local art and music museums, children's museums, zoos, science museums, botanical gardens, and historic mansions and estates. The California State Library Parks Pass offers free parking or admission passes to over 200 parks in the state, and Georgia offers it for 60 of the state's parks.

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Borrow board games to free up closet space

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We don’t sit and play board games every night. So renting them from the local libraries is a cheaper and more sustainable option. Many of them also offer a grab-and-go kit for people of all ages. Some of them also offer hands-on interaction and creative learning with STEM concepts.

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If there are things that you would like to borrow but cannot find in your local library, you could always ask about them in your local Buy Nothing Facebook groups or check out our guide to secondhand shopping.