Newmarket Public Library re-opens The Lendery with tools, appliances, sports equipment and more for loan

Yorkregion.com
May 11, 2021
Lorne Chase

Got plans for work around your home but not the right tools? Want to try something new in the kitchen but don’t have the appliance you need? Or do you want to try a new board game for family game night?

Why spend money on something you may only use once when you can borrow it from the Lendery at Newmarket Public Library.

You can find tools, appliances, board games, sports equipment and more in The Lendery, dubbed ‘a library of things’. The concept is the same as borrowing books or media items from the library, only in this case you can borrow ‘things’ that are handy for do-it-yourself projects, outdoor sports and more.

The Lendery was launched last year just as the pandemic hit. With the library initially closed to the public and uncertainties about the virus, the decision was made to suspend borrowing.

“We had other priorities to contend with that required our attention,” says Biagio Rachiele, the library’s Strategic Projects Officer who was in charge of the project. “As with so many organizations we had to quickly implement safety procedures for staff, purchase PPE, install safety shields, and organize curbside pickup.”

The rapid changes meant that The Lendery was put on hold for a while, but the library is now making it available to the public once again. With people spending more time at home, the items in The Lendery should come in handy.

A donation drive in the fall of 2019 helped stock The Lendery; many people in Newmarket contributed useful items they no longer needed. At this time the library is not taking any more donations, but will be looking at doing so again in the future.

The concept is similar to the library’s Newmarket Grows Seed Library, run in conjunction with the York Region Food Network, which invites people to donate and share seeds for gardening. In the case of The Lendery it is also a partnership between York Region, NewMakeIt and the library.

You can view all the items in The Lendery that are now available for curbside pickup at http://bit.ly/lendery.