Does the start of daylight savings have you yearning for long summer days spent outside under the warm sun? While we here at the library can't fast forward to July, you can place a hold on a light therapy lamp to help boost your Vitamin D supply, or check out one of our many backpacking kits to help you enjoy the outdoors during the fleeting breaks between the rain, snow and dark.
Both of these items are available as part of TRL's Library of Things collection. In addition to books, ebooks, DVDs, CDs, computers, printing,, and online resources the Library of Things collection lets you check out kits, park passes, gadgets and lots more fun stuff. Here in Packwood, our library has a selection of Outdoor Games you can check out! Thanks to funding from the Friends of Packwood Timberland Library, you can borrow Cornhole, Bocce, Ladder Toss, Ring Toss, or Lawn Darts - though not the kind banned in the '80s, for those old enough to remember. And while we call them "outdoor games," most of them can be safely used indoors when the weather isn't being cooperative. These games have been kid-tested at school events and library teen times, and adult-tested at local festivals and gatherings. When your relatives show up to Thanksgiving with casseroles and stuffing you can bring along Giant Connect Four and be the life of the party!
If you're ready to check out some games, remember that borrowing these items is a little different than books and movies. They can't be put on hold - these items are all first come, first served at the Packwood library, and they have to be returned here during library open hours when you're done with them (cornhole simply won't fit in the book drop - we tried!). If you want to see what’s available now you can view the games collection in the catalog, call us and ask, or drop by and hope you're lucky! Games also cannot be renewed because we want as many people as possible to get a chance to use them, but we don't charge overdue fees so no need to stress too much.
So, borrow a game for family gatherings, something for the kids to do during school breaks, or to try them before you buy them. And be sure to thank the Friends of the Library when you see them for making this collection possible!
