Those seeking to acquire a new hobby or test out a trending device before breaking the bank should look no further.
At the Milpitas Library, card holders can check out and temporarily use free home appliances, medical devices, kids’ toys and hobby kits from the “Library of Things,” part of a worldwide community lending program that has already been implemented in several Bay Area libraries, including Palo Alto, Berkeley, Brentwood and Oakland.
The first of its kind in the Santa Clara County Library District, the Milpitas pilot program is only four months old. But staff say it is growing in popularity and fulfilling its intent of providing a sustainable way for people to try new things.
“We find that most items are not sitting on our shelves for more than 24 hours,” said Milpitas Community Librarian Kelly McKean.
Items available to check out range from kitchen equipment, including cake pans and a hot pot grill, to creative devices like a sewing machine and midi keyboard. Some of the more popular items include a bird watching kit, a Go Pro 11, sous vide equipment and a Toniebox, a popular children’s entertainment audio system.
District library card holders 18 years or older can go in-person to borrow one item at a time for three weeks. Patrons can see what items are available to use on the district’s website or at a catalog station located in the library’s lobby. The objects cannot be subject to holds, renewals or be sent to other district libraries.
The idea to have a program initially formed in April 2023, when Milpitas staff were brainstorming ways to encourage library visits. In addition to books, the county library system also offers museum passes, California State Park passes, job resources and more.
After noticing the popularity of the Library of Things in other districts, they pitched the idea to Santa Clara County. Following their approval, McKean and other staff members researched ways to integrate the lending program into Milpitas.
“We were really making sure that what we were doing met our community’s needs and looking at what other people in our community were providing so we weren’t duplicating that,” McKean said.
One of the biggest concerns staff had was figuring out how to ensure that people were keeping items, especially kitchen ones, in good sanitary condition. Requiring users to sign a lease agreement, which outlines that they are responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and safety of the devices, helped to address that. So far, McKean said, users have been considerate.
“I think people really enjoy the opportunity and are being respectful of the items,” McKean said.
The loaning instructions can take a while to figure out, but people eventually get the hang of it.
“Once they learn the process, they’re like, ‘I can check this thing out, I can check that thing out,’ said Senior Library Clerk Sierra Vasquez. “We get super users, kind of, that come consistently.”
One of these is Fremont resident Elizabeth Leong, who borrowed a blood pressure machine and sous vide equipment earlier this year and now wants to try a hot pot and grill.
“I have a party, so this would be helpful to have,” she said Friday morning while checking out the item in the lobby.
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Leong said she likes being able to test out a product she needs before purchasing it.
“I borrowed what I needed the most first, which was a blood pressure monitor,” she said. “I ended up buying the same one as the library for myself, because it was better than the one I had.”
Leong isn’t the only one who appreciates the program. San Jose resident Mary Doan attempted to try it for the first time Wednesday afternoon after seeing a posting from the online parent connection group, Las Madres. As a mother of two young kids, she wanted to use the library’s Toniebox, which can cost more than $100 on Amazon. The toy was checked out that day, but Doan said she’ll come back at another time to look for it.
“It’s a lot of expensive stuff, so it’s nice to test it out before purchasing to see if you like it or not,” she said. “You can do the same at Amazon technically and return it, but you don’t want that on your account; all those high-end purchases and returns.”