The revolutionary Library of Things program is transforming how residents access everyday items, from food dehydrators to blood pressure monitors. In an age of skyrocketing living costs and growing environmental awareness, this service is creating quite the buzz across the Peninsula.
The initiative is a partnership with Frankston City Council’s waste/circularity department and aims to promote sustainability and reduce consumption while helping residents access equipment they might only need occasionally.
“Our mission is to provide the community with quality items that help reduce consumption and waste while encouraging self-sufficiency through making and repairing,” said Chrissie Bonsor, the coordinator of engagement and innovation at Frankston City Libraries. “Someone might be halfway through a project at home and need a tool like a drill or a sander. We can lend good-quality tools, which saves our community needing to buy and then store items in their own home.”
Library members have embraced the concept enthusiastically, with the surprise hit being the Frankston Monopoly board game released last July. Other popular items include portable film and slide scanners, an overlocker, a food dehydrator, and a blood pressure monitor donated by Chemist Warehouse.
Borrowing is straightforward: members simply attend a brief one-time induction session covering the collection, borrowing procedures, and a safety waiver. Items can then be borrowed for three weeks, with possible renewals if it isn’t in high demand.
The program has received glowing feedback, with one member saying: “Absolutely love it. We’ve been wanting something just like this since we moved to Frankston not long ago. It’s precisely what will ensure we aren’t going out and buying this for a limited number of uses and then trying to sell on. Better for the environment, better for my time and sanity.”
Chrissie said the sustainability benefits were significant. “We are giving people access to tools such as a bike repair kit, an upholstery repair kit, sewing machines and power tools – items they may only need for a short time – to repair things they may have already.”
The service also allows people to test products before buying their own. “We have an induction stove sampler kit and a slow cooker. We also have some solar-powered items like lanterns and fairy lights; we hope our community will give them a go and appreciate how awesome solar-powered items can be.
“I think our community wants more from the library than just books; they want to access books and audiobooks through their phone, they want study space and book groups, opportunities for connection and community.”
The collection continues to grow based on community feedback, with a digital projector, birdwatching kit, and more power tools planned as future acquisitions. It has already added a seed library.
The Library of Things is open to members aged 18 and over, with items available to borrow from Frankston, Carrum Downs and Seaford branches.
