Library Services

---

     Do you have arts and crafts supplies taking up space in drawers and bins, left over from a completed project or one that never got started. Well, there are others who could put those supplies to good use in projects of their own if they had access to them. That’s where the Cascade library’s new Craft Supply Exchange (CSE) comes in.

     The CSE, which opened in late January, will be modeled on the successful jigsaw puzzle and plant exchange services already offered by the library, according to Deborah Lily, staff librarian.

     “If you have any craft supplies that you no longer need, please consider donating them at the customer service desk,” she said.  “Then, stop by the exchange to see if there’s something useful for one of your projects. We ask that you take just what you need in consideration of others using the exchange. As with the puzzle and plant exchanges, donating something is not a requirement for taking an item!”  

     The exchange will be located just outside the Local History Room, near the interior entrance to the Wisner Center.  As with the puzzle and plant exchanges, the craft exchange will be available during library hours. Librarians will sort through all donations and then organize them into the labeled exchange bins. There is no cost to take something from the exchange. 

     “We plan to offer the service indefinitely, subject to availability of donations,” Lily said.  “So,  please keep us in mind for future potential donations.”

 For a variety of reasons, including safety precautions and space limitations, not all items will be appropriate for the CSE. Here are lists of acceptable and unacceptable items:

Acceptable Donations: 

• yarn & felt 
• ribbon 
• knitting needles & crochet hooks 
• embroidery / needlework supplies 
• sewing supplies & buttons 
• rubber stamps and unused ink pads 
• scrapbooking & card-making supplies 
• beads & jewelry-making supplies 
• art supplies (unopened paints, brushes, graphite, pastels, charcoal, etc.) 
• sewing patterns 
• drawing supplies  

Unacceptable Donations: 

• non-craft items 
• unfinished personal projects 
• open or partial bottles of glue or paint 
• aerosols, hazardous materials 
• spray paint or paint thinners 
• promotional items, such as branded scraps of fabric or company-specific craft kits 
• sharp tools 
• damaged items such as torn fabric or stained yarn, etc.

     “ We were inspired to offer this service at the Cascade Township branch because it has been so well-received at other libraries,” Lily explained. “We are especially excited about getting the exchange up and running in the heart of winter, when many folks are busy creating projects. So, please check it out and keep us in mind for future donations.”

RETURN TO LIST OF ARTICLES