Brooklyn, Say Hello to Your First Craft Supply Library
Crochet hooks, thermal laminators, and button makers are among the 31 items now available to rent from the Brooklyn Public Library’s new lending program.
The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) officially launched its first-ever lending program for craft supplies on Wednesday, September 9. Crochet hooks, thermal laminators, and button makers are among the 31 items now available to rent from the BPL Craft Supply Library.
The library consists of craft kits, such as linecut sets and woodworking apparatuses, which can be borrowed for three weeks, and craft tools, which can be borrowed for one week. Patrons with an adult library card can take up to three craft kits and two craft tools home at a time, at no charge, proving a welcome alternative for hobbyists who want to avoid hefty price tags.
"All of us in New York are watching our budgets, and we have very limited storage," Fritzi Bodenheimer, a spokesperson for BPL, told Hyperallergic. "You can take something out from the library without that financial investment."
The library’s holdings include a fourth-edition Cricut Maker, a nearly $400 machine that can cut, etch, and engrave into hundreds of materials.
“Starting a new hobby or learning a new skill can mean a big investment in start-up tools or supplies, and often people don’t know if they’ll like the hobby,” Jessica Harwick, the BPL librarian behind the project, told Hyperallergic. “This collection will help remove that barrier so that more people can explore their creativity and try new things.”
Wanting to merge her creative hobbies with her workplace, Harwick drew upon the pre-existing model for the BPL’s "Library of Things," which refers to all the library’s rentable materials that aren't books. David Bowie vinyls, culture passes to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and a Les Paul electric guitar are among the other items that can be rented for free with a public library card.
As the craft library seeks to expand its collection, members of the public are encouraged to contribute gently used tools or supplies to the new project. While staff does not accept any "consumable" materials, such as yarn, paint, or glue, they review possible donations submitted to their dedicated email (craftsupplylibrary@bklynlibrary.org) on a case-by-case basis.
The BPL launched the craft library to coincide with the ribbon cutting of the newly renovated Arts & Music space on the second floor of the Central Library on Grand Army Plaza. On top of functioning as the craft library's new home, the redesign by Toshiko Mori Architects houses a teen center and the new Eastern Parkway Collection Wing, which is stocked with art and music books.
"It's really a part of a trend," Bodenheimer concluded. "A lot of people think a library is just books, but it's a lot more. The craft library is another part of that series."
