“My brother-in-law is an electronic musician, and he has the same gear,” he said. I’m like, wow, this is a legit instrument.”
Saria originally checked out the drum machine for his 5-year-old daughter, who had become fascinated with the music of German electronic band Kraftwerk. They wanted to show her how electronic music gets made.
While the instrument ultimately proved a little too advanced for a kindergartner,
“I had fun with it,” Saria said.
His experience wasn’t a one-off. Across the Bay Area, libraries are lending out far more than books. Patrons can check out musical instruments, home-improvement tools, induction cooktops, sewing machines, telescopes, bicycles, toys, gardening kits, Wi-Fi hotspots and even passes to state parks.
Many of these collections fall under what libraries commonly call a “Library of Things” — a growing movement that allows patrons to borrow everyday objects, technology, tools and experiences. While offerings vary by library system, the goal is to expand access while reducing the burden of purchasing items outright.
As Bay Area residents navigate rising costs, smaller living spaces and a growing desire to buy less and share more, libraries are increasingly becoming places where people can try new hobbies, learn new skills and access experiences they might otherwise be unable to afford — all through these free rentals.
The diverse offerings and their availability at no cost are a testament to the services a public library provides, said Anji Brenner, a city librarian at Mill Valley Public Library. Whether a library card holder is checking out a book, a tool or a sewing machine — or gathering with others under the bookstacks — it all speaks to the larger public library mission.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you look like.”
“All of those things don’t matter — you’re welcome here.”
Creativity: Where to find musical instruments, karaoke machines, sewing machines, craft kits and more
The drum machine was just one of many surprising things Saria’s family had checked out from the library. “It almost feels like a secret,” he said. “People should know more about this.”
They’ve also rented ukuleles and experimented with Makey Makey kits: electronic sets that can turn bananas and other objects into musical instruments.
“It makes the library way more interesting,” Saria said. “It’s fun to see what’s available to bring home.”
Libraries across the Bay Area offer collections built around creative experimentation: musical instruments, art tools, karaoke machines, record players, sewing machines and hobby equipment.
Karaoke machines are available to loan out at the Belvedere-Tiburon Public Library, San Mateo County Libraries, Santa Clara County Library District and Sunnyvale Public Library, among others.
At the Mill Valley Public Library, Brenner said many people use the library as a place to experiment before committing to an expensive purchase.
A resident recently borrowed a weaving loom as they considered whether to pursue weaving long-term. “Before you fork over $600, you might want to see how something works and if it works for you,” Brenner said.
That same thinking extends to sewing machines, which are among the library’s most popular items. “Maybe I want to check it out, buy a simple pattern and see if I can even make it through a simple pattern,” she said.
In response to demand, sewing machines have become increasingly common to find for loan across Bay Area library systems, including the Marin County Free Library, the Mill Valley Public Library, the Santa Clara County Library District, the Sunnyvale Public Library, the San Mateo County Libraries and the Redwood City Public Library.
Some libraries allow residents to take the machine home, while others will ask you to use it at the library itself.
Besides weaving looms and sewing machines, the Marin County Free Library offers kits for embroidery, crochet and knitting, jewelry making and quilting.
DIY: Where to find home improvement and gardening tools and supplies
For Oakland homeowner and DIY enthusiast Isaac Kelly, his local public library has been essential. “If it’s something I’m going to use once a year or less, I’ll absolutely check the library first,” he said.
Kelly regularly borrows tools from Oakland Public Library’s renowned tool-lending collection. The program traces its roots to rebuilding efforts following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm, in response to community demand.
Recently, Kelly took home an SDS drill — a heavy-duty concrete drill roughly the size of a carry-on suitcase. Next on his list: a soil compactor for a paving project. The alternative would be spending hundreds of dollars on tools he expects to use only once.
“Housing is scarce. Space is scarce,” Kelly said. But borrowing tools, he said, is also about more than affordability. “Being able to do things yourself is empowering,” he said.
Oakland residents Rosa and Aralya Yee-Phinith discovered the same thing while building a backyard deck at their home. The project stretched across several months and required rotary hammer drills, shovels and concrete-breaking tools — many of which they borrowed from Oakland’s tool lending library.
“It saved a huge chunk of money,” Rosa Yee-Phinith said.
The couple had already spent heavily on construction materials and didn’t want to spend even more on tools they might rarely use again. (This author, who is friends with the Yee-Phiniths, can attest that their deck turned out very nicely.)
Oakland’s tool lending program includes all types of saws — including circular, pruning and reciprocating ones — along with drills, sledgehammers and caulking guns, among others.
As for other cities around the Bay, the Berkeley public library offers a similar tool lending program to Oakland’s. And while not as extensive, the Sunnyvale Public Library has a manual lawn mower, orbital sanders, screwdrivers, hex-key sets and a collapsible hand truck available to residents.
Gardening enthusiasts can find tools like soil block presses, fruit pickers and weeding tools at libraries, including those in Oakland, Berkeley, Sunnyvale and Marin County. Residents can also obtain seeds to start their own vegetable garden at libraries, including Marin, Fremont and Oakland.
Outdoors: Where to find bicycles, telescopes, hiking, camping, picnic kits and park passes
At libraries throughout the Bay Area, patrons can check out California State Parks passes along with gear like hiking backpacks and stargazing kits.
Jean Walker, a reference librarian with Oakland Public Library, said the goal is to help remove barriers that keep people from getting into nature. “We know how impactful it is on people’s mental health to just get outside,” Walker said.
Some libraries loan out hiking gear like trekking poles, baby carriers, camping gear like tents, bear canisters, foldable tables and portable power stations.
Mill Valley Public Library created “experience backpacks” designed around local exploration. One kit includes bird guides, trail maps and binoculars for self-guided walks through nearby marshes. Another includes a wildflower guide.
For Haniza Zainal Abidin, a longtime San Jose resident and homeschooling parent, those programs became essential for her family. As a single-income household, she regularly relied on libraries for books, science programming and museum passes while raising her children.
One of Abidin’s favorite discoveries was a park pass she borrowed from the library, which allowed her family free entry to county parks.
It helped them discover Joseph D. Grant County Park, where the family spotted wild boars crossing nearby trails. “We could hear them snorting in the bushes,” she said.
Residents can find California park passes at most public libraries in the Bay Area. Some libraries, such as the San Mateo Public Library, include them in their backpack kits, which include hiking essentials like a water bottle, first aid kit and headlamp.
For those wanting to take a two-wheeled adventure, San Mateo County Libraries offer a number of bicycles through the system’s Book-A-Bike program.
Bikes come equipped with a helmet, bike lock, cargo basket, first aid kit, headlight, two tail lights and a charger for the lights. Some libraries also loan out bike racks, like at the Sunnyvale Public Library.
And for skywatchers and stargazers alike, you can borrow a telescope at Oakland Public Library, Mill Valley Public Library and other libraries in Marin County, as well as Sunnyvale Public Library.
Cooking: Where to find Instant Pots, food dehydrators, sous vides and other culinary tools
Libraries have also expanded their offerings into kitchen equipment.
The Berkeley Tool Lending Library also offers a wide selection of culinary and kitchen tools, including Instant Pots, air fryers, blenders and portable induction cooktops.
Culinary equipment like sous vides, ice cream makers, dehydrators and cake pans is available in both Berkeley and at the Sunnyvale Public Library.
In Sunnyvale, residents can also borrow a rice cooker, hot pot, grill, dehydrator, popcorn maker, baking pans, cookie cutters and knife sharpeners.
Kids: Where to find children’s toys and activities
Libraries also provide kid-focused collections, from rotating toy libraries to educational kits and science activities. Walker said children at Oakland libraries often return toys after storytime and immediately check out something new.
The toys are “the highlight of a lot of those kids’ weeks,” she said.
The Oakland Public Library has a large toy-lending program aimed at children ages 0 to 6. They can borrow train sets, toy cars, sensory toys and more.
Libraries in San Mateo, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara and other cities also offer play spaces for small children. For older kids, activities and resources related to coding, robotics, science and engineering, like STEAM kits, are readily available too.
How do I find out what kinds of items are available at my local public library?
To find out what’s available in the “Library of Things” at your local library, staff advise checking their branch’s website or calling to learn more.
Most libraries have an updated online catalog of items and offer the option to place holds online, while others require you to call to place your hold.
Calling the library directly would get you the most recent updates on descriptions and availability.
Some libraries allow nonresidents of that city to borrow certain items, as long as you’re a California resident. Others, like the tool lending libraries, require you to actually be a resident of that library’s city.
