Presented by

Dania Souid
Young Adult Services Librarian,
Baldwinsville Public Library (NY)

Lindsay Delaney
Freelance Librarian (OR)
LIBRARY OF
THINGS
The What, Why,
and How of

Photo by Dania Souid

Lending Objects

Dania Souid | Young Adult Services Librarian

Baldwinsville Public Library | 33 East Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, NY, 13027
www.bville.lib.ny.us
 HISTORY
2018: Launch with 2 kits

2020: Add Record Player

Present: Expand with

Photo by Dania Souid

dedicated Innovation Line
●

●
LEGO SETS
PERCUSSION SETS
ITEMS
● LEAP INTO DIRT KITS
● ELECTRICITY MONITOR
● CHROMEBOOKS
● STOP MOTION ANIMATION KIT
● RECORD PLAYERS
● TONIEBOXES
● GOPRO HERO 8
● PROJECTOR & SCREEN
● MUSEUM PASSES
● PARK PASSES
Photos by Dania Souid
 FIRST STEPS
• Coordination from every department

• Research libraries, museums, LoT

Photos by Dania Souid

groups, publications, etc.

• Diverse selection

• Items
• Assembled kits
 SELECTING ITEMS
• Start small and build up

• What can supplement a popular collection?

• What do do people want to try?

Photo by Dania Souid

• Search new items (ads on social media)

• Look and try to buy locally

 BUDGETING
• Cost of item

• Cost of containers

• Cost of packaging

• Maintenance

• Replacements

• Staff time
Photos by Dania Souid
 CREATE MARC RECORD
• Provide detailed product information

• Enticing description of the item

• Break down of how item is packaged

• Cost of item

• LoT shelf location & collection code

• Variety of subject terms

 DISCOVERABILITY
STEP 1 STEP 3 STEP 5
MARC RECORD LABELING MARKETING

STEP 2 STEP 4
PACKAGING DISPLAY
 WAIVER
● Standard or personalized by item

● Rules for who can use LoT

● Price breakdown by item

● Rules for damaged, missing items

● Include copy of waiver in kit

https://www.webjunction.org/content/dam/WebJunction/Images/webjunction/2022-10/go-pro-loan-agreement.pdf
 ASSESSMENT
● Before selecting an item, brainstorm
how you will assess its success?

○ Circulation numbers

○ Patron feedback
○ Ease of use
○ Cost of maintenance

Time to prepare between returns

Photo by Dania Souid
○
 EXPANSION
● Create schedule

● Assign specific tasks to staff

● Get duplicates

● Listen to patron requests

● Create designated space

● Help libraires in your system start a LoT Toniebox with characters, photo by Dania Souid
Thank you!
Please reach out with
any questions!
Dania Souid
Young Adult Services Librarian
Baldwinsville Public Library
[email protected]
315-635-5631
Building a children’s library
of things collection
Lindsay Delaney - lindsaydelaney.com
At the end of this presentation…
You’ll be able to describe reasons for
incorporating children’s materials in the library
of things.

You’ll be able to identify sources of inspiration

for your collection.

You’ll be able to apply category, practicality,

and priorities to the selection of children’s LoT
materials.

TAG Toys Spin Around Glitter Drum

Photo by Lindsay Delaney

My background with Library of Things

Ann Arbor District Library, MI Tigard Public Library, OR

Photos by Lindsay Delaney

Why include children’s materials in the library of things?

Kids deserve materials that are relevant

to their interests and designed to be
accessible to them
A children’s LoT served Tigard library’s
vision & mission
LoT are immensely fun and popular

Lovevery Hide & Find Drop Box

Photo by Lindsay Delaney

Scoping the collection

Party
rentals

✔ Swap
Children’s Audiobooks Videogames events
Medical
Books
equipment
rentals

Playaways
Puppets
Buy
Nothing
groups
Budgeting: From special project to
regular collection

• Items
Cost
• Packaging

• Ordering

$ Staff
Time
• Processing
• Cataloging

• In-Process
Space
items
Selection

Categories
Practicality

Minerals and Fossils Acrylic

Block

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t

Match Storytelling Kit

Priorities

Photos from Nature Watch

& Lakeshore Learning
Selection: Categories

Library Mission Sources of Inspiration Categories

Informational Children’s museums Early literacy activities

Cultural Science museums Board games
Educational Schools Construction activities
Recreational Popular topics at your library Robots
Library programs Scientific models
Toy Libraries Toys
Other LoT collections Musical instruments
Exercise

Categories
Early literacy activities, board
games, construction activities,
2. Blipblox Toy Synthesizer robots, scientific models, toys,
musical instruments

Practicality
Self-contained, robust, not date-
specific

Priorities
multilingual, accessible design,
1. Lotería: Cuerpo Humano inclusive, environmentally
friendly

3. Green Toys Fire Truck Photos from lelu, Playtime

Engineering, & Green Toys
Where to shop?
Educational retailers
ex. Lakeshore Learning, Nature Watch

Large online retailers

Local toy, music, and board game stores

ex. Versus Board Games, Tigard Music,
Piccolo Mondo Toys

Speciality sellers
ex. Lelu

Book vendors

Piccolo Mondo Toys Photo by Lindsay Delaney

Preparing the items for circulation
Cataloged
- local pick-up
- bilingual descriptions &
access points
- photos

Transparent or original
packaging

Label with barcode, RFID tag,

item name, and contents

Components labeled with

library initials

Alex Active Yoga Activity Blocks Cubelets Discovery Set

Photos by Lindsay Delaney
Selecting items: wins!
Dinosaur fossils and skull replicas! Connected strongly to
interests
Connecting to curriculum - ozobots Extended our existing
collection
Storytelling kits Drew on community
expertise

Kits containing Eric Carle books and Magna-Tiles® Structures

Photo by Lindsay Delaney

Selecting items: fails & lessons

Globes Breaking Rechargeable

robots batteries
Packaged in opaque bags
Some models just didn’t Added to items requiring
last batteries

Items that can be seen Not every item is robust What’s practical depends
are more appealing for long-term circulation on the time you have to
dedicate to collection
maintenance
Sustaining: Collection Maintenance

Technical
Selector
Services
Packaging
Item Repair
Repair

Selecting Updating
replacements Record
Displaying and Marketing
The collection is shelved by the
entrance to the children’s room

Photo by Lindsay Delaney

Questions?

Dania Souid
Young Adult Services Librarian,
Baldwinsville Public Library (NY)
[email protected]

Lindsay Delaney
Freelance Librarian (OR)
[email protected]