Rent an adventure

Library cards can be used to borrow new recreational items

Posted

Through an initiative to encourage healthier lifestyles, recreational equipment is available for rent just in time for summer fun.

With the use of a library card, guests at the Seward Memorial Library can now rent a slack line and laser tag sets and will soon have access to kayaks, paddles and lifejackets.

Those items became available through the Active People, Healthy Seward initiative supported from a Four Corners Health Department grant through the State of Nebraska.

The goal of this initiative was to encourage more activity in individuals six to 17 years of age. The effort culminated with a virtual summit last summer in which three main needs were identified, including the desire for a wellness center, as well as additional trail features and rentable recreation equipment.

A survey showed that one need in the community is access to recreational equipment that can be borrowed.

“We did a survey what would people like to see to borrow from the library,” said Jana Hughes, committee member. “We also sent that to the Seward High School seniors to know what the kids would want as well.”

She said the top responses were the slackline ninja course, laser tag equipment, kayaks and paddle boards.

Hughes said that the Friends of the Library purchased the slackline and laser tag for the Active People, Healthy Seward initiative. The purchase of the kayaks, paddles and lifejackets was made possible through a $2,500 donation from the America's Farmers Grow Communities Program, which is sponsored by the Bayer Fund.

She said the kayaks have yet to arrive, but the slackline and laser tag equipment have already been popular items at the library. Hughes said she's pleased with the response of the program thus far and anticipates it to be a hit for the summer.

She said once the summer ends, the committee will look at statistics of how things were borrowed and see what other items or projects could be offered through rental.

“If it's popular, there's potential we can get some more things in,” she said.