Megan Navarro
KYLE — The Kyle Public Library has expanded its collections beyond the world of books.
At the 20,000 square-foot library sits a more than 60,000 item-filled collection of books, audiobooks, DVDs, magazines, newspapers and a vast Library of Things. This expands beyond the computers, program/meeting space and 72 databases.
Dubbed the Library of Things by the municipal library, it helps with the vision to facilitate access to information, inspire learning, enrich lives and encourage community engagement. Alongside multiple children’s activity kits, including the popular viewfinders, the Library of Things offers the following:
• Beading loom from Hobbyworker
• Texas Instruments TI 84 Graphing Calculator
• Portable CD player
• GoPro action camera and accessory kit
• ACER Chromebook
• Crochet Kit for Beginners
• WACOM Intuos Drawing Tablet
• Hot glue gun: dual temp mini
• Fender Acoustic Guitar: Learn to Play Kit
• Leather working tools for beginners
• Te-le-scope: Zhumel-l Z130 Portable Al-taz-imuth Re-flec-tor Te-le-scope
• Travel telescope
• Microscope
• Janome sewing machine
• Ukulele
• Launch pads
When library director Leslie Scott first arrived last summer, the Library of Things only had 15-20 items — including phone books, a telescope, sewing machine and a guitar — but now, that number is up to 140.
“We've added items, like hot spots, ukuleles [and] learning activities for children. Those range from something as simple as cognitive fine motor skills like buckle, snap, tie, magnetic science, building blocks, letter and phonic recognition. We've even added old school view finders, which are very popular,” she said. “We added launch pads, which are literacy computers, but they do not connect to the internet. They're full of educational apps for cognitive development, but also for memory care, as well. So, those are for all ages. Then, we have wonder books, which are read-along stories for literacy, exposure and development. It's just simply, the book is reading and the bell rings and you turn the page.”
Scott shared that it’s important to be able to offer more than just books, as the library is all about access to education, engagement and entertainment. She added that the collection can also teach individuals different lessons that may not be possible by just reading a book.
“There's all these opportunities for the library to provide a service beyond just the books. We learn differently and you can't really learn how to buckle a shoe through a book. You need to be able to physically do it. So, it's more of that, learning through activity, learning through the physicality of doing whatever that is,” Scott explained. “It's something that we put our hands on. You can read a book about how to play the ukulele, but to actually hold the ukulele and be in an interactive engagement with it is how you can move forward with that education.”
Because they are physical items, individuals who want to use anything from the Library of Things collection must have a library card, come and pick up the items and then, return them.
Determined through circulation, the Library of Things has been very successful, according to Scott, as this summer, there has not been much left on the shelf. From wanting to try something new or not wanting to invest in purchasing a piece of equipment, more and more people are going to check things out.
“As soon as it comes back, it's checked out again. Like the viewfinders, for instance, it's funny, the kids will say, ‘What's this?’ And their parents, ‘Oh, I remember this.’ They get so excited about it, but it's really fun to see them pick those kids up and have this engagement that we can provide something different and a different way to learn,” she said. “Sometimes, parents don't always realize that we have these items, nor the adult items, as well. Somebody wants to learn guitar, but they don't want to invest in buying a guitar until they see, ‘Will this be something I like?’ They can check out a guitar. Same with you need to sew a hem on some curtains or some slacks. You can come in and check out a sewing machine. You don't need to go buy a sewing machine. You can check ours out and borrow it.”
In addition to growing its offerings, the Kyle Public Library is continuing to seek community feedback altogether, as it is undergoing a master plan to be a long-term vision that ensures that the library continues to meet the needs of the community for years to come.
In December 2024, Kyle City Council approved a contract with 720 Design, Inc. to develop a Library Master Plan, to which its goals are:
• Evaluating current trends and future needs to ensure the library remains a vital resource for the community
• Analyzing and recommending library trends
• Projecting community growth
• Determining how the library can best serve its residents
Key aspects of the plan include forecasting space and staff needs, as well as addressing programs, services, collections and technology requirements to create a comprehensive roadmap for the Kyle Public Library, stated the library’s website.
“Where we're at right now [is] a lot of engagement and feedback. We've had our idea boards here at the library for an open house … We've just had them available for people to kind of vote on what's important to them in the library of the future,” Scott explained. "Then, right now, we're in the middle of our public survey. So, the public can go on to the online survey, or they may come into the library and we have them printed in English and Spanish, and they can take the survey that will be collated by our master plan group, 720 Design.”
Following the survey, which ends Saturday, Aug. 23, 720 Design will hold interviews with the executive team, leadership, city council, the mayor and Scott to explain the results of everything that has been completed thus far. From that, more information is collated and a final report will be complete by December, which “will say where we compare with other libraries and what's important to our community to move forward in the future,” Scott said.
Residents should participate in the survey and provide feedback for the master plan because, according to Scott, the community should drive what the library offers right now.
“By asking the public what they want, we get a better gauge of what they actually want … There are things that maybe we thought people would be more interested in and they're not. Perhaps there might be things they're interested in that we can do right away and then, things that are going to take a little bit more planning, funding [and] things like that,” she said. “That's what we're all about: providing a service to our community.”
To learn more about the Kyle Public Library and to submit feedback for the master plan survey, visit www.cityofkyle.com/library.
