Have you ever arrived at campus and realized you forgot a charger for your device?
Don’t run home, because McMaster University Library has your back.
The university library offers students an expansive list of loanable items, including phone and laptop chargers. Grace Dobbie, library assistant with Access Services, says the library makes these items available to benefit students.
"We want to make sure that every student has access to the tools they need to succeed,” said Dobbie. “If someone needs a calculator because they forgot theirs or they can't afford to buy one, we have calculators they can use for exams. All of the chargers and adapters, those things are expensive, so they're useful to students."
Besides calculators and chargers, the library is also supporting student success with markers and erasers for library whiteboards, headphones and geometry sets.
Dobbie says that while many items are intended to help students in their studies, fun and recreational items like puzzles and board games are also available. She says patrons are most often surprised that they can borrow projectors.
"People don't borrow projectors very often, but when people do hear about them or use them, they're excited about it and think that it's a cool item to borrow,” she said.
A newer addition to the lineup is loanable lab coats and goggles, which became available to borrow at H.G. Thode Library of Science and Engineering at the beginning of the 2024 fall semester. The addition comes on the heels of a partnership between the university library and a student-run organization called ReCoat, which works to rehome previously owned lab coats. A portion of the lab coats placed in ReCoat donation boxes have been added to the collection at Thode library services desk.
Crystal Mills, head of Access Services, says making lab coats more accessible is already benefiting students.
“If a student forgets their lab coat or goggles, they aren’t able to attend their lab,” said Mills. “Having lab coats and goggles available for loan is an option that helps students in a pinch. Plus, it’s great to be able to partner with ReCoat as a student-run sustainability initiative and promote the reuse of these items.”
In the case that borrowed items are late for return, patrons will be charged four dollars for every hour that the item is late. To help alleviate financial strain on students, the university library runs a program called Food for Fines. Dobbie says it assists students who may need a helping hand.
“If you bring in a canned food item, we equate each canned food item to be worth four dollars of fines,” Dobbie said. “Patrons can bring any non-perishable items. The donations go to the McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre.”
Students who are interested in borrowing an item can ask a library employee at the services desk in Mills or Thode libraries for assistance.
To see the full list of items available, please visit the loanable technology section of the library's website.
We want to hear from you
If you have an idea for another loanable item, email the library.