Library of Things

Gone out for a bike ride around town and realized you left your lock at home? Simply ask at the Circulation desk and borrow one of ours! Standard cable-style and heavy-duty U-lock are both available.

Two-week loan with one auto-renewal.

Board games are proven to be one of the best ways to get to know new acquaintances! Check out our brand new collection:

• 3-in-1 Game Set (Chess, Checkers, Backgammon): Three all-time classics. If you don’t know the rules already, ask a friend to teach you!
• Alien: Fate of the Nostromo:In this gorgeously designed game from Ravensburger, 1-5 players take on the role of the crew of the USCSS Nostromo from the classic science fiction film Alien. Each crew member has unique special abilities, and players will have to work together to meet all their objectives and survive the mission. Remember: in space, no one can hear you scream!
• Apples to Apples: A great party game! Pick up your Noun cards and see whose card most fits the Adjective for the turn. For instance, which is the most Squishy: Chalk, a Horse, the Library Book Sale, or Marlon Brando? It’s like comparing apples to apples!
• Balderdash: In this update for the classic game Dictionary, players are presented with obscure, unusual words from the English language, which they must either guess correctly, or provide an entirely fake definition for. If nobody knows the word, everyone votes for whichever sounds the most plausible, ensuring there is more than one way to win. A game of both knowledge and strategy.
• Basecamp: Conversation can be difficult when meeting new folks – check out this pack of thought-provoking icebreakers!
• Blockbuster Party Game: This nostalgic movie trivia party game takes place under a miniature plastic Blockbuster sign, as players work in teams to collect VHS-shaped movie cards. First team with cards from all eight genres wins! Just remember: Be Kind, Rewind.
• Carcassonne: This tile-placement game has won many awards and traveled across the world. Claim territory, earn points for completing tasks, and see who can claim the most land in a world of beautifully crafted tiles.
• Catch the Vibe: How well do you really know your friends? Each round starts with one player being named the “Vibe Master,” who draws a conversation topic card followed by two range cards. The Vibe Master secretly places the topic card somewhere within that range, and whoever gets closest to the truth wins! This game is suggested for players age 17+.
• Chess: Knight takes rook, queen puts king in checkmate… Created in India in the 6th century, chess remains one of the most-played games of the last fifteen hundred years.
• Clue: Who killed Mr. Body? Was it Colonel Mustard in the Billiards Room with the Lead Pipe? Or could it have been Miss Scarlet in the Ballroom with the Candlestick? This classic board game not only spawned dozens of imitators but in fact one of the best worst movies of all time. 
• Coup: As a coup unfolds in your nation, how will you be the last power player left standing? This game plays somewhat similarly to popular party games like Werewolf or Mafia, a game of bluff, counter-bluff and deception.
• Diplomacy: Act as one of the Great Powers in 1901, and see if your conversation and diplomacy skills can help you gain great esteem throughout the world – or if your empire will sink under the weight of its own hubris…
• Dominion: Intrigue: This expansion for Dominion includes all base cards and can be played as a standalone game.
• Dominion 2: This deck-building game speeds through the conquering of foreign lands as players compete to increase their kingdom’s power. Players must think strategically and plan for their future, lest their dominion be ripped away from them…
• Forbidden Island: Build an island together, then explore it quickly – as the island crumbles and the water level rises, you can’t take everything with you… Try to make it out with the most treasure!
• The Fox in the Forest: This gorgeously designed card game pits two players against each other. Points are scored by winning more “tricks” than your opponent, but don’t get too greedy, as players with too much hubris will lose, much like the classic trickster characters from fairy tales.
• Happy Little Dinosaurs: As if the looming threat of extinction wasn’t bad enough! In this deceptively cute card game players try to survive the many hazards of the Mesozoic Era. First to 50 points wins (or last dino left alive, whichever comes first!).
• Hella 90s Pop Culture Trivia Game: Test your pop cultural knowledge of 90s fashion, music, movies, toys and more with this party trivia game for 3 or more players. “The 90s trivia game that’s all that AND a bag of chips!”
• Horrified: American Monsters: In this cooperative board game players battle legendary cryptids including Bigfoot, the Chupacabra and the Mothman. Work together to defeat the monsters and save your town!
• Jumanji: Roll the dice, move your pawn and try to escape the jungle. The Athenaeum can make no guarantees about your safety if a herd of elephants unexpectedly rampages through your living room.
• Kingdomino: In this super-charged version of dominoes, players assume the role of medieval lords seeking to expand their kingdoms. There are only so many resources to go around however, and only one Domino King can reign supreme!
• Monikers: In this cross between Taboo and Charades, teams battle to score as many points as possible by guessing card names correctly. Rounds become progressively more challenging, with the final round allowing only nonverbal clues. This “dumb party game that respects your intelligence” is suggested for players 17 and up.
• Monopoly:The classic of classics, a mainstay since its first publication in 1935. Players roll the dice, travel around the board, and attempt to out-buy and sell their opponents through determination, and also ruthlessness!
• Monopoly: Deal: This fast-paced, luck-based card game streamlines the old classic. Be the first to collect three property sets of three different colors and you win!
• Mysterium: This supernatural, 1920s set game puts a spin on classic locked room murder mysteries, with players assuming the roles not of investigator or suspect, but of the ghostly spirit of the deceased, and a team of mediums trying to contact them! The game is won when the culprit is identified by a majority of players, freeing the spirit to pass into the afterlife (at least until the next game).
• No Filter: This icebreaker game is designed to help players get to know each other, or deepen existing relationships between friends. Roll the dice, speak candidly, and get some meaningful conversation going.
• P For Pizza: A family-friendly word association game delivered in a mini pizza box. First player to collect nine cards and build a giant pizza slice pyramid wins!
• The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game: This narrative board game tasks players with advancing through six chapters, all the while braving challenges and interruptions, matching the meta structure of the original film. Inconceivable!
  
• Quixx: This deceptively simple dice-rolling game moves fast and provides no shortage of twists and turns. It’s fun for the whole family, but requires real strategy to come out on top.
• Scrabble: One of the most popular and enduring board games in the world, this word game for 2-4 players will have you testing (and growing!) your vocabulary in no time.
• Scythe: Set in a steampunk alternate 1920s, this engine-building game can be played by up to five players, or even as a solo campaign. This gorgeously designed game won Game of the Year from BoardGameGeek in 2016 and has garnered raves from critics and fans alike.
  
• Selfish: Space Edition: On this busted spaceship, there’s only enough oxygen for one astronaut to make it home. Shame there’s other astronauts aboard… Only the most ruthless player will survive!
• Settlers of Catan: A resource management game where each player must negotiate and trade with their friends for control of the island. What once was a nerd game has become quite popular as people try it out! The sheep must flow!
• The Snallygaster Situation: Kids on Bikes: You know there’s a monster out there, since you’re an 11-year-old. But the adults don’t wanna listen to you… Time to rally your friends and go defeat the foul fiend yourselves!
• Spaceteam: This fast-paced and chaotic cooperative card game has players working together to repair their spaceship before it’s swallowed up by a black hole. With only five minutes to avert disaster, players will have to think fast and shout loud!
• Taco Vs. Burrito: This food-fighting card game for 2-4 players is equal parts silliness and strategy. Whoever cooks up the most delicious (or at least the weirdest!) meal wins!
• Ticket to Ride: All aboard! This railway building game is simple yet elegant, with players laying railroad tracks and train cars across the American frontier. The player with the most victory points at the end wins.
• Wavelength: This innovative, award-winning “social guessing game” pits teams against each other to find a hidden point within a spectrum of possibility. Only the “psychic” knows the binary poles, and may give players only conceptual hints. For example, If the card says “hot-cold” and the bullseye is all the way to the “hot” side, then the clue might be “surface of the sun.” The team closest to the bullseye wins!
  
• What About Baseball: Sometimes you want to play baseball when you’re simply not able to – whether because it’s after dark, you’re on the go, or you’re already sitting at a baseball game! Play this board game version of baseball and see if your home team is up to snuff!
• Who’s Most Likely To… This party game has no winners or losers, unless you count the embarrassment! Who in your group is the most likely to wake up in bed with a half-eaten burrito? Only one way to find out!
• Zeus on the Loose: Zeus has abandoned his Mount Olympus throne, and it’s up to you to find him and bring him back! This card game has players ascending Mount Olympus, but you’ll need the help of the entire Greek Pantheon!

Two-week loan with one auto-renewal.

Need to work from home? Whether you’re studying, looking for work, or trying to fix your old computer, we understand there’s dozens of reasons to suddenly need a computer for a few weeks. Look no further than our Chromebooks, available to check out from the Reference Desk. Comes equipped with power cable, transfer dongle and carrying case.

Two week loan period with one automatic renewal.

Embroidery Starter Kit
This kit from Santune includes an embroidery hoop, needles and needle threader, scissors, thread, cloth and more. Follow the handy illustration guide to get embroidering!

Mini Darning Loom Kit
This darning kit from AMZ Elite includes a mini metal loom, a wide array of color threads and darning mushroom and egg tools. Perfect for mending clothes and making them last!

Sewing Machine 

A what? That’s right! We’re now offering a Brother Pacesetter PS200T Sewing and Quilting Machine for use in your home. Halfway through a project and your machine konked out on you? Looking for a machine to borrow for a simple mend? Designing your own clothes and looking for a way to practice? Whether you’re trying to save money or are starting to learn new crafting skills, this sewing machine is the perfect way to push through your project!

This item includes the Pacesetter sewing machine, a carrying case with operation manual, 7 guide sheets and 16 accessory types listed in manual including 1 wide table, 1 foot controller and other accessories stored inside machine compartment.

Wax Sealing Kit

Whether you’re making invitations for a wedding, a murder mystery party, or simply want to fancy-up your letter, check out our Wax Sealing Kit to create beautiful letter seals! Heat up a few of the wax beads using the tea candle, spoon and spoon holder. Wait until the wax is hot and melted, then pour onto your envelope. Finally, imprint your seal using the metal stamps, fashioned with very fancy floral patterns. One fun trick: put the stamp in the freezer while you melt your wax for a crisp impression on the seal. Please be very careful with this item, as it includes hot wax and the risk of burns!

Kit includes 24 colors of wax beads in a containment case, 1 tweezers, 10 tea candles, 2 metallic embossing pens, 7 metal stamps, 2 stamp handles, gold glitter, 1 wax melting spoon, 1 wax warmer, 1 bag and 2 pages instructions.

Two week loan period with one automatic renewal.

Ancel BD310 OBDII Car Diagnostic Scanner: This diagnostic scanner works on most 1996- and OBDII compliant US, 2001- European, and 2003- Asian vehicles, and supports all OBD II protocols including J1850 PWM, J1850 VPW, ISO9141, KWP2000 and CAN. Requires download of the free Ancel app, which will display a diagnostic report within minutes of the device being plugged into your vehicle.

Bose Soundlink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker: This compact but mighty portable soundbar from Bose is perfect for the beach, on a camping trip, backyard party, or anywhere else. The speaker is waterproof, compatible with Bluetooth, rechargeable, and includes a built-in microphone that can make and receive calls. The connect app even automatically installs updates. Charging time: approximately 4 hours (includes charger).

Karaoke Kit-Karaoke night is a blast with friends – but what if you’re not feeling like going out tonight? Our rechargeable, battery-operated Karaoke Machine Kit is perfect for a party at home or on the go! Sing loud and proud on the beach, out camping or in your living room. Cue up your songs on your phone and connect to the speaker with Bluetooth. When fully charged the speaker is good to go for up to eight hours of use. Kit is equipped with JYX Karaoke Machine with 2 Wireless Microphones.

Temtop M10 Air Quality Monitor – Test your home, workspace or anywhere else for hazardous chemicals and other air pollutants. This compact device monitors AQI (Air Quality Index), PM2.5 (harmful particulates), HCHO (formaldehyde), and TVOC (natural gas and other volatile compounds).

Two-week loan with one auto-renewal.

Perhaps you just broke your trowel, or lost it somewhere in your garage; now you can borrow tools for as long as you need. Please wash off dirty tools before returning.

• Bulb Planter: Dig down deep and recover your annuals so you can plant them once it’s warmer!
• Set of hand tools: Trowels, cultivators and pruning shears. Get all your small-scale gardening done with ease.
• Soil Tester Kit: Why buy a niche item like this when you can borrow it for free? Measure the moisture content and acidity of your soil with this toolkit.

Three week checkout period with one automatic renewal.

Enjoy wireless internet access (WiFi) at home or on the go. These devices are so popular that we were able to renew service for another year, till October of 2023. Simply plug it in and connect to it in your device’s WiFi options. If you’re having trouble operating the hotspot, check out our page on the topic! Comes equipped with carrying pouch and power cable.

Two week checkout period with one automatic renewal.

Thanks to the Center for EcoTechnology, which was granted funding from the EPA to get community members educated on the benefits of cooking on induction stove vs. gas, we now have an induction cooktop to loan out. Unlike gas and electric cooktops, which use an open flame or heating element, induction cooking uses electromagnetic energy to heat pots and pans directly. Induction cooking uses less carbon and is safer and faster than either gas or electric.

People who switch from gas stoves to induction can experience the following benefits: 

• Environmental: Using an induction stove instead of gas cuts your cooking carbon emissions in half.  
• Health & Safety: Induction stoves eliminate toxic emissions that come from gas, and that increase the risk of childhood asthma by 45%.
• Economic: Induction cooktops are about three times more efficient than gas.  
• Cook time: Induction stoves take half the time of gas to bring water to a boil.  
• Cleanup: With their smooth surfaces and burners that don’t get hot enough to bake on food, induction cooktops are a breeze to clean. 
• Precision: Induction burners are quicker to respond to temperature adjustments than gas burners. 

Westfield Athenaeum Induction Stove Lending Program from Center for EcoTechnology on Vimeo.

An excellent, quiet way to spend an afternoon or three. Pick yours out from the selection in the Great Hall! New and used 300, 500, 700 and 1000 piece puzzles are all available. Missing a piece? Mark a small ‘x’ on the front in sharpie where the piece should be and let a circulation assistant know.

Three week loan period with one automatic renewal.

Some of the coolest recipes out there involve big machines for your kitchen. A lot of these can be pretty expensive, and not everyone has the resources to just go out and buy an air fryer. However, now you have the opportunity to check out these gadgets from the library whenever you need them! Each of the Kitchen Gadgets can be checked out for three weeks, with one automatic renewal. Please read all instructions carefully before use, and use adult supervision and caution when using any sharp or heated device. Please thoroughly clean the item before returning it.

• Air Fryer: This little convection oven creates currents of superheated air, sending the heat evenly around the center trays to crisp up your dish. Fry chicken and meats, potatoes, pastries, potato chips and more – but without all the unhealthy fats, oils and empty calories of deep fried food.
• Canning Kit: Literally hundreds of things are canned regularly by folks around the world. Pickles, jams, jellies, fruits, vegetables – canning is an excellent way to keep food safely preserved for long periods of time. Stock up for the wintertime, make pickles for presents, or just make tasty treats for yourself and your family.
• Electric Smokeless Grill: Bring the outdoor grilling experience indoors with this smokeless, non-stick, easy-to-clean electric grill from Granitestone. Grill up burgers, veggies, and anything else in minutes!
• Food Dehydrator: Heat dehydration is an alternative method of food preservation to traditional methods, like using a lot of salt. Using very hot air circulated by fans, this device dries moisture out of whatever you put in it. An excellent way to dry fruits and vegetables for chips and snacks, dry flowers to help remember special moments, make meat jerky, or dry herbs for future use.
• Ice Cream Maker: Some of these devices might need some explaining as to what they’re used for. The Ice Cream Maker on the other hand – well, it makes ice cream! Create a tasty summertime treat with this churning friend. Check out how easy it is to make healthier alternatives, all using the same process. Simply choose your ingredients and watch ‘er whirl, then cool off at the poolside or barbeque with your homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet.
• Juicer: Many fruits and vegetables are hiding another useful way to prepare them – the juice inside! Use this device to squeeze them dry, and get tasty fruit juice for your breakfasts or vegetable juices as a side. Fruit and vegetable juice have long been said to have great health benefits.
• Spiralizer: Some foods are best enjoyed fancy. It can be very tricky to cut foods into spiral shapes – unless you’re using this gadget to do the hard part for you. Zucchini, carrots, curly fries, hash; see how easy gourmet can be!

When the weather starts getting warm and the sun finally stays out the whole day, it’s time to break out the Lawn Games and party!

• Badminton: Bounce the shuttlecock back and forth over the net, making sure not to let it drop to the ground or the other side gets a point! First to twenty-one points, with at least a two-point lead, wins!
• Bocce: Divide into two teams, and throw the white ball (the jack or pallino) about twenty feet away. Alternate bowling your balls towards the jack, then measure which team got the closest! Earn one point from each ball of your team that is closer than the closest ball from the other team.
• Cornhole: Set the foldable boards about twenty feet apart, and take turns tossing your beanbag. Try to score more points than the other team! Earn one point for landing the beanbag on the board, three points for landing it in. First team to twenty-one exactly, wins. If you go over twenty-one points though, you immediately lose ten points and gotta catch up again!
• Croquet: Set the two rainbow sticks into the ground about twenty feet from each other, then arrange the hoops evenly in between them. From one stick, each player lightly smacks their ball through each of the hoops, goes across the field to the other stick, then repeats back to the start!
• Lawn Bowling: Set up your pins on grass or a flat surface, and use the ball to knock down as many as you can!
• Ring Toss: Try and get your ring on the peg! First to ten points wins.
• Tumble Tower: Similar to a familiar tabletop game, but larger and for outdoors play! Stack them up and take turns removing blocks – but don’t let it fall down!
• Volleyball (and badminton) Combo Net: Two teams compete to keep the volleyball in the air, only hitting it with their hands. Don’t let the ball touch the ground on your side of the net!

Each of the Lawn Games can be checked out for three weeks with one automatic renewal.

Sports like basketball and soccer are great – when the ball is full of air! Pop into the library for a few minutes and borrow our air pump when you need a quick fix. Not suitable for bicycle tires.

Two-week loan with one auto-renewal.

Tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) have seen a huge resurgence in pop culture thanks in part to shows like Critical Role, Dimension 20, and the Adventure Zone. Try out some rockin’ role-playing games with a group of good buddies and see where your imagination takes you!

• Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game 6-Book Set: This throwback, “old school revival” style roleplaying game set includes the 4th edition core rulebook along with 5 supplemental books: Equipment Emporium, Adventure Anthology 1, Basic Fantasy Field Guide, The 2nd edition Chaotic Caves Adventure Series, and Morgansfort The Western Lands Campaign. This box set includes everything you’ll need to run a legendary campaign from start to finish!
• Call of Cthulhu Starter Set: Based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, players assume the roles of investigators exploring the mysteries of things that go bump in the night – but these aren’t your grandparent’s ghoulies (vampires, werewolves etc). No, you’ll be exploring the worlds of cosmic horror, with great and terrifying Elder Gods, unnameable beings of twisting horror and mind-shattering powers…
• Dungeons and Dragons Core Rulebook Set: The original RPG that started a generation of fans creating adventurous parties going out and exploring the monster-packed wilderness! Whether you’re looking for a classic dungeon crawl, a magical heist, an investigative mystery or simply a goofy time with friends, these games are for you! Check out both the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide for the complete experience. 5th edition.
• Monster of the Week:This compact tabletop action-horror RPG pits 3-5 players against monsters and mythical creatures such as Bigfoot, aliens, vampires and the Chupacabra. “Most people don’t believe in monsters, but you know the truth. They’re real, and it’s your task to bring them down!”
  
• Mork Borg: This rules-light, heavy metal-inspired tabletop RPG translates to “Dark Castle,” in Swedish, and will be the perfect old-school style RPG for players looking for something darker and edgier than Dungeons & Dragons. It even has its own official doom metal playlist!
• Root: Based on the board game of the same name, this role-playing experience casts players as woodland creatures fighting for all sorts of different motivations in a sometimes-cruel world. Fans of Brian Jacques Redwall series will want to check this one out!

Two-week loan period with one automatic renewal.

Are you ready to start planting? Pick up free seeds for your own garden – fruits, veggies, herbs and more! You can pick up heirloom, non-GMO seeds for free at the Seed Library right in front of the circulation desk. You can learn much more about this project on its own page.

Need to transport your seeds? This soil blocker allows you to create small, neat bricks of soil perfect for transportation and containment. Avoid plastic waste with this helpful gardening tool. Mix and moisten your soil in a large tray or basin, press down with the blocker, and voila! Your nursery will now have perfect little blocks of soil, ready for planting.

Kit includes 1 instructions, 1 soil blocker, 1 handle with spring separates, and 24 seed pins (8 each of square, shallow round, and deep round).

Two week loan period with one automatic renewal.

What’s better than a tiny, four-stringed version of a guitar that you can take home? Well, what if it was mint-green and glowed in the dark?! Comes equipped with a clip-on tuner and carrying bag.

Three week loan period with one automatic renewal.