Above: Some of the items patrons can check out of the Southborough Library include fun and practical things.
The Southborough Library is promoting the circulation of items well beyond books. You may have realized that the Library also lends out DVDs, CDs, video games, and museum passes. But you may not have realized that they also lend out other fun and practical items.
In addition, if you’re willing to hang around during its open hours, you can play one of the Library’s board games.
Below are overviews of each resource. (For more details, click here.)
Gardening Kits
If you are looking for some special tools to help your garden flourish, look no further! You can now borrow a gardening kit from the Southborough Library. These helpful kits include 2 trowels, a mini rake, a small seat, clippers, as well as garden gloves.
The gardening kits can be checked out and brought home for 3 weeks, no renewals. You can search our catalog and visit our Main Floor Circulation Desk upstairs to ask about borrowing this item.
These garden kits were made possible by a grant from the Library Services & Technology Act distributed by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
Ukuleles
Ukuleles are now available for checkout! It is always a great time to try something new and this fun and easy-to-learn instrument will not disappoint.
Simply stop by the Southborough Library to borrow this brand new and charming instrument. The box comes with a ukulele, a bag, and tuner. They can be borrowed for 3 weeks, no renewals.
You can also search our online catalog to see if a ukulele is available to check out and bring home here. Funding for ukuleles was provided by the Southborough Education Foundation.
Chess Sets
We invite patrons who are beginners just learning this fun game and advanced players looking to fine tune their skills to use our circulating chess sets that include a timer.
The chess sets can be found in the Teen Room downstairs and are now available for check out and use in the Southborough Library. The set includes a fabric board and pieces as well as instructions for how to play if you are new to chess or would like to reference the rules while playing.
Telescopes
The library has circulating telescopes! This compact and easy-to-use telescope can be borrowed from the library just as you would a book or a movie.
Each telescope circulates for 3 weeks with no renewals. They are not reserve-able, but available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Part of the Adopt-A-Library Telescope initiative from the Aldrich Astronomical Society. One was funded by the Southborough Cultural Arts Council with help from The Friends of the Southborough Library, while the other was donated by MathWorks in Natick.
Activity kits
Bring home your very own activity kit backpack! You will find an array of backpacks filled with activities in the downstairs Children’s Room which can be checked out using your library card and brought home for hours of fun together.
Each backpack has a theme, including indoor fun, farm animals, cats, dogs, the human body and more. You will find different items inside, such as books, puppets, stuffed animals, toys and games.
Make sure to try this fun way to learn at home and browse our circulating backpacks for availability.
Puzzles
Puzzles are available to check out again from the library and kept in the library’s front reading room. Patrons can bring them home to work on at your own pace.
They circulate for 3 weeks, with no renewals. You can browse our available circulating puzzles online as well.
Energy Use Meters
You can measure the electrical usage of your household appliances with the Kill-a-Watt kit from National Grid. You can ask for this item at the Main Circulation Desk upstairs to check out and take home to identify which appliances are using the most energy.
There’s also a booklet with the kit that includes energy conservation tips and information about energy savings rebates and program available through National Grid and Mass Save. Browse our catalog to check availability.
Museum/Venue passes
Museum passes are another item you can check out from the library that provide patrons with a discounted museum visit. A list of museums passes is on our website. Please note this list is subject to change.
Patrons will still need to call the museum or visit their website for ticketed admission. If you have questions regarding the entrance fees and/or the open hours of the museum/institution, you must call the museum/institution directly.
After booking a pass, please call 508-485-5031 to confirm your reservation with library staff to arrange for the pass pick up. Laminate/Returnable Passes must be picked up the day before or the same day of your visit and can be returned in the case to our outside book return. Pass for Tower Hill is provided by the Southborough Gardeners. Most museum passes for the library are funded by The Friends of the Southborough Library.
Board Games
The Southborough Library has a new set of activities available for patrons: board games! You don’t have to win to have fun with friends or family, it is all about enjoying each other’s company in a welcoming community.
Patrons can check out a game from our selection of board games to borrow and play here at the library. You can search out catalog and find the board games in our Teen Room downstairs. Board game options include:
- Trivial Pursuit
- Bacon-opoly
- Candyland
- Labyrinth & more!
