Books aren’t the only thing you can check out of Mills Library; bikes have just been added to the list.
McMaster University Library has partnered with Start the Cycle,* a McMaster student start-up initiative, to create the Mills Bike Library, a bike-lending service meant to provide students with equal access to sustainable transportation on campus.
There are three bikes currently available for checkout, free of charge, as well as a selection of helmets to choose from. Students simply come to the service desk at Mills Library and, using their student card, check out a bike, just as they would sign out a book.
“We know not all students can afford to buy or rent a bike. This service provides students with another option,” says Anne Pottier, Associate University Librarian. “We are so pleased to support this McMaster start-up initiative and we hope students will take advantage of this unique service.”
If the program is successful, more bikes will be added in the spring of 2015.
Check out a bike with these 6 easy steps
- Take a look at the selection of bikes online, or in the compound behind University Hall..
- Visit the service desk on the 1st floor of Mills Library with your library card and tell them which bike you would like to borrow. You must fill out a waiver the first time you borrow a bike.
- You will receive a package of information and the keys to unlock the bike of your choice
- Safety first – you can borrow a sanitized helmet or bring your own.
- Use the bike for 48 hours! It will be due back by 4:30pm, 2 days from the date borrowed – if you need it longer, renew it through your library account online
- The helmet and key must be returned to the Service Desk, not the external Book Drop. Check Mills Library hours.
*Start the Cycle is a non-profit company that develops bike share programs for youth to encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle by being active in their city. The company’s co-founders are Charles Burke and Justin Hall, two McMaster alumni.
