Collection Development for My Random Life.

Morality and Cake Pans: The Rural Library | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural.

This is an interesting book review of

Main Street Public Library: Community Places and Reading Spaces in the Rural Heartland, 1876-1956
By Wayne A. Wiegand

The review highlights a library that checks out cake pans. Noting:

The resourcefulness of rural public libraries knows no bounds. Tina King spotted this lending collection of cake and muffin pans at the public library in Atkinson, NE. “Since most of these towns don’t have big box superstores nearby, I can imagine it’s very handy,” writes King. “I can also appreciate the idea of not forking over $12 to create a never-gonna-make-it-again fire truck cake.”

I love it. This is one thing libraries can do right. A simple collection, probably low-cost (I don’t know), and something people can talk about. I have heard of tool libraries, but why not cooking libraries.  Food concerns seems to be a big concerns these days (look at all those food blogs), so why not? Why not, indeed!

Had a chance to drive over to Dayton, Oregon this past week to check out the town and their library that is named after Mary Gilkey a local pioneer woman. Local folklore believes that the Mary Gilkey donated the land where City Hall sits on the condition that the public library is always open.

Portland book lovers nurture neighborhood camaraderie with mini libraries | OregonLive.com.