Any Library Can Create a Library of Things

***BEFORE YOU REGISTER FOR THIS ON-DEMAND WEBINAR PLEASE REVIEW IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION BELOW***

Lending unusual items expands the ways libraries can serve their communities. Discover how to set up a library of things from organizations with collections of varied sizes and scopes. Learn to build inclusive lending systems that delight patrons with tools for the home, education, science, and more, to reflect the diverse makeup of your communities. Support your community's needs, from disaster recovery to event hosting, by joining the sharing economy and lending resources beyond books.

Recorded live on March 18, 2026.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this on-demand webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify community needs and determine how creating and curating a library of things can address them;
• Know how to acquire, catalog, display, lend, use, maintain, promote, and curate a library of things; and
• Join a community of library of things librarians to share their lessons learned and collectively improve our offerings.

Who Should Attend

This on-demand webinar is intended for any library staff interested in libraries of things.

Panelists

Hazel Onsrud (she/they) is a public librarian at Curtis Memorial Library (Brunswick, ME), who works on community programming and collection development—including an extensive library of things focused on the Sustainable Development Goals. She serves on the international Library of Things Mutual Aid group, the advisory board of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and the steering team of MECollab. She enjoys collaborating with good humans around the globe and was named a 2024 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and a 2025 New York Times Changemaker. Prior to her work as public librarian, Hazel co-founded the Maine Tool Library and spent a bunch of time learning from graceful teachers. In her free time, she likes to create things, eat molés, and design gardens.

 

Kelsey Andrus (she/her) is a spinstress, gardener, lachanophile, cook, perpetual knitter, and terrible dancer. She manages the system-wide Library of Things collections at Richland Library, including the Seed Libraries, and is project managing the expansion of the collection to all thirteen locations. She dreams of one day owing ample land and having enough time to raise her own food and enough sheep to keep her busy.

 

Lydia Sampson (she/her) is the assistant director and head of Technical Services at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. She holds an MLS from Simmons University, and a Master of Science in Management. During her eight-year tenure at Morrill Memorial Library, Lydia has spearheaded a significant expansion of the Library of Things collection. Her library experience includes sixteen years in an academic library prior to her current position. Outside of her professional life, Lydia is a foster cat mom, an avid adventure traveler, and a true crime enthusiast currently residing in Rhode Island.

 

For more than thirty years, Lisa Loranc (she/her) has been active in the library profession and is currently the director of the Brazoria County Library System in Texas. She is a leader in the community and is committed to making sure the library continues to provide both practical assistance for daily living and inspiration for building a better future.

 

Sara Wedell (she/her) has worked in small, medium, and large public libraries, with a focus on collection development, designing classification systems, and maintaining special collections—including the Ann Arbor (MI) District Library's (AADL) tools collection. At AADL, Sara has been part of teams that create puzzles for the Summer Game, organize and host Nerd Nite A2, and established and run Fifth Avenue Press, the AADL's locally-focused, publicly-owned publishing imprint.

 

Important Registration Information

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Accommodations

This on-demand webinar is closed captioned in English (United States).

If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your access to this on-demand webinar, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) prior to registering so we can attempt to provide appropriate accommodations.

Tech Requirements

To play this on-demand webinar you should use a browser with native HTML5 support. Please use the most up-to-date version available of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Edge. A fast Internet connection and computer is recommended.

Contact

This webinar is presented by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

If you have questions or problems accessing a recording, send a message to plawebinars@ala.org or call 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).