The Okotoks Library is more than just books 

Libraries have come a long way. They are no longer simply filled with books, music, and magazines.

Many libraries have acquired other items that people are able to borrow. 

The Okotoks Library is no exception. They have a Library of Things, where people can borrow a number of interesting items.

"We have lots of other different fun items to check out, including ukuleles. We have memory kits, snowshoes, walking poles, disc golf sets," explains library director Sarah Gillie. "The idea behind a library of things is to allow people to check out these items. They might not be able to afford them otherwise, or maybe they just want to take them for a test drive to see how they like them before making their own purchases."

According to Gillie, several items in the Library of Things are quite popular.

"So, the snowshoes are exceptionally popular. We frequently, when it starts snowing, cannot keep them in," explains Gillie. "Our disk golf sets are also very popular. Ukuleles are rarely on the shelf. We have film equipment as well, which frequently gets borrowed."

Snowshoes are a popular item at the Okotoks Library

The library also has a bunch of outdoor games, such as giant tic tac toe, ring toss, and bocce ball. They also have things like vehicle error code scanners, white noise machines, and CO2 monitors.

Most items are first come first serve, but they do allow people to request the film equipment ahead of time.

If there is an item you want to borrow, but may not know how to use it properly, do not fear. 

"We do have a staff member who's in charge of this collection, and they spend a lot of time researching it and learning about them that they know a little bit about everything now," Gillie says. 

They are always looking to expand their collection, based on the need of the community.

Anyone with either an Okotoks library card or a TRAC library card are able to borrow from the Library of Things. There are no additional fees and items can be loaned out for a minimum of one week.

For more information, visit the Okotoks Public Library website.

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