Minot Public Library offers less conventional items for checkout

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – The library isn’t just for books!

The Minot Public Library has a whole catalog of unexpected items that could be checked out by anyone — even robots.

Pam Carswell, a teen librarian, said a lot of teenagers surprisingly borrow hotspots and CD players for audiobooks. They are all in circulation.

Most of the items in this binder are part of the library’s makerspace technology like snap circuits and littleBits. Almost all of them are checked out.

Carswell said they are designed to help kids who don’t have access to technology use STEM at home.

“You can use these things in your home for three weeks. Try them out. Get good at them. Maybe decide, ‘Hey, this is something I’d like to purchase,’ or, you know, ‘This was a lot of fun, but we’re going to send it back to the library,’ and that’s fine, too,” said Carswell.

On top of testing the waters of these products, people can check out adventure packs for stargazing, hiking and birdwatching, similar to Dora’s backpack.

More items on the catalog include microphones, speakers and projectors to check out and return like a book.

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