The following post comes to us from Carolyn Dow, librarian at Lincoln City Libraries, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
More than 100 patrons of all ages attended a performance by the Lincoln Ukulele Group in December 2015 that kicked off a pilot project of ukuleles for the public to borrow from Lincoln City Libraries, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. The five ukuleles being circulated were donated, along with hard cases, by the Lincoln Ukulele Group, who played them for library staff at the time they were donated. The instruments are available for checkout and return at any of the Lincoln City Libraries locations, with customers placing holds that are filled using the library’s delivery service (hence the need for hard cases). One of the ukuleles is based at the Polley Music Library, while the other four are assigned to a large branch that the Ukulele Group considers its library home.
The instruments are cataloged using the manufacturer’s description, and a title “Ukulele instrument”. The ukuleles are mahogany wood, with nylon strings, and each is a different color and design. Library processing included placing a barcode on the instrument, in the space between the pegs on the front of the uke, and placing other library labels on the instrument and the case. Inside the case is a card with very basic information on such things as tuning, playing the ukulele, and basic chords.
The ukuleles have proved quite popular, with the instruments in use constantly. And the Lincoln Ukulele Group will provide care and repair such as changing strings as needed.
Why ukuleles at the library? The Lincoln Ukulele Group wanted to give back to the community, and encourage people to discover the fun of making music with a ukulele. For the library, the ukuleles offer the opportunity of getting a musical instrument and related books and scores into the hands of community members who could not afford a instrument as well as providing the participatory programming and materials that go along with the maker spaces concept that is sweeping public libraries in the United States.
