Our New Library of Things

Ayer Library Library of Things

Happy Valentine’s Day, Ayer. Happy Birthday too! We’re thrilled to launch our new Library of Things today in honor of the Town of Ayer’s incorporation on February 14, 1871.

Now you’ll be able to request and borrow a wide variety of electronics, tools, toys, games through the same convenient interface you currently use to reserve rooms and museum passes simply by visiting ayerlibrary.org/library-of-things (find the link in our website menu under Resources).

Libraries at their essence are all about sharing—whatever it is a community wants to share. Books became the primary contents of libraries simply because a century and a half ago books were so expensive very few people could afford to purchase them. Communities agreed they wanted to pool their resources so that they could share access to books, and public libraries sprouted up all over the country.

Libraries continue to evolve to reclaim that larger sense of sharing. Communities don’t just want to share books—they want to share information, access, experiences, and resources. So over the years we’ve expanded our offerings to include more formats, more technology, more programming, and more services. And while Libraries of Things were once a novelty, they are now a standard offering in libraries across the country.

Now Ayer residents can request items from their own Library of Things without needing to visit a library in a neighboring community. We’ve selected an assortment of items for the launch, but we plan to increase the offerings in response to public usage and interest.

So if you have feedback or suggestions about other items to add to the Library of Things, please email ayerlibrary@cwmars.org with your thoughts and recommendations.

Happy sharing!