Come and check out some Technology Kits! These are the latest releases from our Library of Things collection.
Mention to anyone who loves to tinker that you can now borrow Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi Kits from the library, and you most probably will get an idea of what – and how popular – they are.
Arduino and Raspberry Pi technologies are well-known among robotics, electronics and hobby enthusiasts, high schoolers, middle schoolers, teachers, professors, college students, and STEM lovers – of all ages. Plenty of cool ideas using microcontrollers can be found online, as well as in project idea books, and in electronics cookbooks that can be borrowed from the Library. The Arduino Kit comes with a project book too! These are great introductions to the concepts of electrical engineering, programming, development of digital devices, and more.
And now, we have them available for borrowing at the Livingston Public Library — i.e. to be taken home, to become an instrument for the maker of their own gadgets, and to become a means for curious minds to pursue whatever-creations-they-want-to-make projects that pop in their heads!
Aside from an Arduino Kit, and a Raspberry Pi Kit, the newest releases from our Library of Things collection include electricity monitors, Chromebooks, and a portable projector/screen.
Wondering how much electricity is being consumed by your devices? We currently have two Electricity Usage Monitor Kits that can help you find out. They come with instruction manuals on how to figure out the data you need.
Chromebooks are also now available for check-out borrowing, and can be taken out of Library premises. The Chromebooks are ideal for internet browsing, and portable computer work only. Most applications that you will need, and the documents that you will work with, all need to be stored in the cloud, that is, via your email and other cloud-dependent apps and accounts. Due to the unique operating system and features in these devices (no hard-drive disks, limited storage), downloads and installation of software applications will not be allowed. The Chromebooks are perfect for internet and cloud-based work purposes — especially when you’d like to find a different cozy corner with Wi-Fi (at the Library, at home, at a coffee shop, etc.), where you can work on the computer (and can discuss things over the phone) at the same time!
Lastly, do you need a portable screen/projector, maybe for a business trip presentation, or a demo for a group, or even a display/exhibit/expo? We have something for you as well! Take them anywhere you need to, as long as you return them on time. The projector can be connected to a HDMI-compatible device and comes with a screen, if you’d need that too.
If you’ve been thinking of getting one of these things, all you have to do is reserve them from the Library of Things collection, claim them on the designated day, and then you’re off to start on your awesome ideas! If you need to cancel your pick-up reservation, please call to release the reservation ahead of time. As a reminder, all items must be returned on time, by the due date. Otherwise — for the Library of Things collection — rules, fees, and fines will be applied accordingly. A two-week borrowing period is allotted, however, renewals are not allowed, so the next person in the reservation line can have access to them.
The reservations for the Library of Things collection, like the reservations for the Museum Passes, can be browsed by date, or by museum, or by kits — to see which are available on the dates you like. You can even peek into the reserved items in your account.
All these courtesy of your Livingston Library card!
So come on in, and see, and browse, and discover, and experience all the ways — new and old — that your Livingston Public Library does to serve you and the community.
If I haven’t greeted you yet, may you have more fun and be happier this new year!!!
— Janea Agbayani, Technology Department Library Specialist
For more information, visit: www.livingstonlibrary.org/resources-az/
For other topics, themes, and resources suggested for lifelong learning pursuits, visit our blog under the tag: Keep On Learning.