Fort Bend County Libraries is set to begin a new borrowing program and library policies in June.
About the program
The “Library of Things” pilot program will launch June 8 at the George Memorial Library in Richmond, according to a June 3 news release.
The program, which was created by Katy ISD Jordan High School graduates Rishan Hemrajani and Kyle Nguyen, aims to allow people to borrow useful and often expensive items to promote sustainability, help residents save money and give people the chance to try before making a purchase.
“We were both frustrated by the constant need to purchase expensive, one-time-use items,” Hemrajani said.
Zooming in
Fort Bend County residents over the age of 18 with a full-service or homebound library card can borrow items from the Library of Things for free, per the release. Patrons must also provide photo identification and proof of residence at checkout.
Current items available include:
- Binoculars
- Telescope
- Power and moisture meter
- Projector
- Selfie ring light
- Smart pen
- Metal detector
- Studio headphones with a microphone
- Podcast recording equipment
- Thermal camera
- Gimbal stabilizer
- Portable cassette player
In other news
A few policy changes will also go into effect June 8, including the expansion of e-cards to all Texas residents, per the release.
Other changes include:
- Increasing the blocking fee threshold from $5 to $25
- Allowing patrons to borrow three Wonderbooks—print books with an included audiobook and audio player—at once instead of one
- Increasing automatic renewals from two to three times for borrowed items
- Expanding library card expiration from two years to three
- No longer requiring identification for computer use cards
