I was recently helping a patron at the circulation desk when someone returned a mobile hotspot. The patron I was helping was pleasantly surprised to learn that we have them available to borrow. As a result, I thought I’d write about some of the items the Cheshire Public Library has available that you may not be aware of.
We currently own six mobile hotspots you can borrow. What is a mobile hotspot? A mobile hotspot is a little box that works like a Wi-Fi router to bring you wireless internet. You power it up and can connect phones, computers, and TV streaming devices. They are great for traveling when you may not otherwise have access to the internet, and come with easy-to-follow directions on how to set them up and a number to call for help during library hours. Ask for one at the circulation desk on the main level or reserve one here.
Also great for vacation are selfie sticks! The two selfie sticks we have available use Bluetooth. You pair the selfie stick with your phone the same as other Bluetooth devices like speakers, keyboards, or Apple Watches by accessing Bluetooth settings on your phone. They are great for all kinds of situations: when no one is around to take your photo, when you want to photograph an expansive area beyond the reach of your arm, when you want everyone in your group to be in the photo, or when you’d rather not hand your smart phone to a stranger. Ask where to find them at the reference desk on the lower level or reserve one here.
Patrons are often surprised to hear we have boomboxes available to checkout. These are useful for audio books and music CDs. They can also play the radio, which is handy at the drive-in movies so your car battery doesn’t die! Ask where to find them at the reference desk on the lower level or reserve one here.
We also own three portable CD players. These include a car kit that attaches to your car stereo, making them another useful item for traveling! They are especially wonderful for listening to audio books during long drives when you don’t have a CD player in your vehicle. Like the selfie sticks and boomboxes, these can also be found on the lower level. Reserve one here.
While the games located in the Teen Room are for library use only, we do have an extensive selection of board games you can bring home to play. They are located on the main level near the Fiction books. You can find the list of what we own, and reserve one if you like, here.
Mobile hotspots and board games can be checked out for 2 weeks. Selfie sticks, boomboxes, and portable CD players can be checked out for 3 weeks. These items will automatically renew once as long as no one else has placed a hold on them.
Please note that the items listed above will be held behind the circulation desk on the main level for pick-up if you put them on hold, and not on the hold shelves at the front of the library. We ask that they all be returned to that same desk inside the library; they are all delicate, and we want to make sure they do not get damaged and are available for the next person.
The final items you can borrow for use outside the library are ones my own family has utilized throughout the years: museum passes! However, our passes are not just for museums. We also have passes for State Parks Centers, a Nature Center, and even Mystic Seaport! Look through our collection here, where you can decide whether to search by venue or date. You can reserve passes up to 30 days in advance.
Once you decide on your venue and date, simply print the pass from home*. If you don’t have a printer available, come to the library and ask to have it printed for you. Some of our passes are also available digitally and do not need to be printed at all. The printable/digital passes are good only for the date you reserve them, so no need to worry about late fees.
*While most passes can be printed out at home, the “CT State Parks Centers and Historical Buildings” pass must be picked up at our reference desk. This pass is subject to a $10 per day late fee. The “CT Science Center” coupon we offer must also be picked up at the library, but does not have any associated late fees.
The last items you may want to know about are not things to borrow, but rather things you may have left behind. The Cheshire Public Library has Lost and Found bins in both the adult and children’s areas; please ask about them next time you come in. We also keep smaller and/or more valuable items behind the circulation desk on the main level, so whether you are missing an earring, glasses, or a notebook full of all the books you’ve read, please be sure to ask.
I hope you found this information informative. If you have any other ideas for things you’d like to see The Library add to its collection, whether books or items, please let us know here. You never know, you might find it at at the library in the future!
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