Telescopes, fishing poles and more: Library loans out much more than books

Lending fishing poles with full tackle boxes, telescopes — and soon binoculars — are part of Riverside Regional Library’s initiative to welcome new faces who may not be aware there is more to discover beyond the walls of its six branches.

Jackson branch cataloging services supervisor Eileen Fronabarger said the St. Louis Astronomical Society and Missouri Department of Conservation support the upkeep of those particular resources at all branches: Jackson, Scott City, Benton, Perryville, Altenburg and Oran.

And of eight Orion StarBlast telescopes total, the Jackson branch houses two, with one reserved for reference-use only.

Fronabarger said each telescope cost $325. They were purchased in September 2016.

“It’s just another tool to help people understand what’s going on in the world, and it’s just another service that we offer,” she said.

Fronabarger said the library is interested in offering different things to the community aside from books “or things you can hold in your hand.”

One of the library’s current goals is to expand into areas that assist the community, “with things maybe they don’t have access to,” she said.

The available fishing poles are being checked out quite frequently, library clerk Janie Johnson said, adding, “We have a new children’s librarian that has been looking into a lot of things for the kids, too.”

“And those [fishing poles] were fun to try to catalog,” Fronabarger said with a grin.

The rods and reels can be checked out at no charge, she said, even if bobbers and hooks are misplaced. But she said there is a fine for breaking a pole.

Circulation supervisor Sandy Welker said the fishing poles are for all ages and can be checked out for one week at a time per patron. But only adults are able to check out telescopes and Wi-Fi hot spots, she said.

“Our telescopes stay out all the time,” Welker said Friday. “But our fishing poles, this is the first we’ve had in,” pointing to the near-full rod rack. “They’re usually all gone.”

She said some people can’t afford a fishing pole, “so it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Welker said group homes have even utilized the branch’s fishing poles.

Fronabarger said she hopes the library’s newer available resources will widen parents’ and children’s horizons.

“We feel like the more varied things that we can offer, then maybe we can draw different people in, and get people more interested in the library,” she said.

Some of the latest additions to the library also include a Spanish-language book collection.

“We’re building it up, and I’m seeing that some of them are going out. I am pleased with that,” Fronabarger said, adding she hopes classes from schools will begin to take advantage of the library’s resources.

Welker said up next for the library are binoculars from the St. Louis Astronomical Society.

“They should be coming down tonight, from what I hear,” she said Friday.

The library also offers programs depending on the season, a game room, a separate community room, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, video games and Wi-Fi hot spots.

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