By Anna Jackson
Information Services

WARSAW — If you haven’t been upstairs in the library recently, you may have missed the fact that the library now offers many nontraditional items for checkout!

Gone are the days when the library was only books and movies. Now, alongside your copy of “Goodnight Moon,” you can check out a telescope to view the moon in real life! And when you check out the latest cookbook, you can also borrow a plethora of cake pans and kitchen appliances to help you create your next culinary masterpiece!

These nontraditional items are known as the Library of Things and this collection is constantly growing. Are you looking to get a new kitchen gadget for Christmas for you or a loved one? Why not try it before you buy it by borrowing one of the many kitchen appliances in the Library of Things? Some of the latest additions to the collection include an air fryer, a rotating Belgian waffle maker, a pasta maker, a bread machine and a cookie press! Or maybe you don’t need to purchase a big ticket item because you only use it once a year. If so, check out some of the other items in the Library of Things such as the punch bowl, the Christmas cookie cutters or the ice cream maker.

But the Library of Things is more than just a cooking center – it also houses many technology items as well! WCPL just recently added its VHS to DVD converter to the Library of Things! If you are interested in converting your old home movies from VHS to DVD, you can borrow our handy converter – it comes with everything you need to transfer your old movies to a more modern format. We also have a karaoke machine and a mini projector. And don’t forget our Wi-Fi hotspots! You can check out Wi-Fi hotspots for one week at a time and use them to connect multiple devices to the internet.

The Library of Things also includes many different board and card games! Everything from classics like Sorry and Clue to more obscure games like Ticket to Ride and Power Grid. And if learning new games sounds intimidating, check out our new YouTube series – “Unbox the L.O.T.” where we open up fun games and teach you how to play!

If you are interested in a brand new library experience, check out the latest in our nontraditional Library of Things!