Library of Things

Overview

Our Library of Things is a special collection that offers a wide variety of items and materials to meet the recreational and educational needs of our community. Click through each to find out more information. Visit our Materials page to find out the borrowing rules. 

American Girl Dolls

We have a collection of American Girl Dolls that represent several eras available for checkout. Each doll comes with a book, a hairbrush, and a set of clothes. They also come with a journal for children to write about their adventures. The available American Girl Dolls are listed below, along with the year they represent.

  • Caroline Abbott from 1812
  • Josefina Montoya from 1824
  • Kit Kitteridge from 1934
  • Story from 2014

Adult patrons can only check out one American Girl doll kit per family at a time. The checkout period is two weeks with no renewals. Place a hold on the doll kit through the Library catalog. Families will be contacted when the doll kit is ready for pickup. Returns must be dropped off during regular operating hours at the Circulation Desk. Late fines are $1 per day.

Citizenship Materials

If you need help with citizenship or immigration, we have materials and resources available. Our Citizenship shelf is located on the second floor in the Adult Non-fiction section. There you will find a US Citizenship and Immigration Kit containing civics information and study materials for the US Naturalization Test. There are also books on immigration located on the same shelf.

Wooden shelf on the second floor of the Library with "Citizenship" on the side in black sticker letters. There are books, kits, and a brochure on the shelf. The top shelf has a book with the Statue of Liberty on its cover. The shelf is propped against one of the five beige bookshelves in the picture. Each bookshelf is full of books. The bookshelf that the Citizenship shelf is against has a white sign that says "321.8-33.8." The other large, beige bookshelves have a black chair in front of them. There is a blue stool on the left side of the picture. The carpeting is grey. In the background there is a brick wall, brick column, and two windows. The black blinds are drawn halfway up on one of the windows and there is a wooden table with four black chairs. Against the brick column is a small book cart. The top shelf of the car is full of books.Contents of a Citizenship Kit on grey table. The contents are a set of Civics Flash Cards, three DVDs of Naturalization Interview and Test prep, and one Naturalization study book.

Games

We have a large variety of board games, card games, and tabletop role-playing guidebooks available for checkout. This section is located on the first floor across from the card catalog computers. Games are available for all ages. 

A selection of six board games from the library's collection on a table in the Makerspace room. The games are Five-Minute Dungeon, Fire Tower, Seven Wonders, Settlers of Catan, The Crew, and Monopoly Deal. The background is a blue wall with gears on it.A selection of four tabletop role-playing game rule books on a grey table. The books are the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook, the Dungeons and Dragon's Dungeon Master Guide, the Star Wars Revised Core Rules, and the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.

Adult Kits

We have several types of kits available for adults. Kits should be returned during regular Library hours at the circulation desk or the inside book return. Please do not return kits to an outside book return, as the contents could be damaged.

Blood Pressure Monitor Kits

Our Blood Pressure Monitor kits include everything you need to check your blood pressure, including instructions for use. These are located on the first floor in the lobby on the black shelf. 

Contents of a Blood Pressure Monitor kit on a grey table. Contents are the monitor and instructions.

Book and Audio Kits

Our Book and Audio kits are located on the second floor in our Adult Non-fiction Audio section. These include topics from either Great Courses or the Portable Professor series. Each kit contains a book and either a DVD or a CD.  

Contents of a Book and Audio Kit on a grey table. Contents are a Great Courses book and DVD titled The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World.

Camping Kit

Our camping kit includes everything you may need to enjoy the great outdoors! Located in the Games section in a blue backpack, this kit includes items like a flashlight, bug repellent, rain poncho, first-aid kit, and wildlife information pamphlets. 

Contents of Camping Kit on a grey table in the Library's Makerspace room. Contents are a blue backpack, a first aid kit, bug repellent, sunscreen, a compass, binoculars, a flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a Explore Nature game. There are shelves of crafting supplies and mailing boxes in the background.

Language Kits

Each Language Kit comes with the materials needed to learn the basics of understanding languages, such as English, Spanish, Japanese, French, and American Sign Language. Adult language kits are located on the second floor in the Non-Fiction Audiovisual section.  

Contents of an Adult Language Kit on a grey table in the Library's Makerspace room. Contents are a Living Language Advanced Spanish course with a book and two CD-ROM cases that are part A and part B. There are blue walls in the background with craft supply shelves and storage.

Youth Kits

We have several types of kits available for children. Kits should be returned during regular Library hours at the circulation desk or the inside book return. Please do not return kits to an outside book return, as the contents could be damaged.

Early Literacy Kits

Parents are their child’s first teacher, and the Library aims to support parents in this endeavor by providing a toolkit to encourage early learning and foster literacy at home. Early Literacy Kits are geared toward toddlers and preschoolers. Each kit contains five picture books, one children’s music CD, and a developmentally appropriate toy. They are located on the first floor next to the picture books. 

Contents of an Early Literacy Kit on a grey table. The contents are a red and blue toy train, a CD called Caspar Babypants Hot Dog!, and five picture books.

Language Kits

Each Language Kit comes with the materials needed to learn the basics of understanding languages such as English and Spanish. Children's language kits are located on the first floor next to the picture books.   

Contents of a children's Language Kit on a grey table. Contents are a Green Level Exercise notebook and a book from the Strange Museum series titled

STEAM Kits

STEAM kits are geared toward Pre-K to Grade 3 students to read and learn new concepts through hands-on activities in one of the following subject areas: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Math. Each kit contains books and activities dedicated to specific topics to make learning fun! They are located on the first floor next to the picture books. 

Tablets and Hotspots

If you need a portable Wi-Fi connection, we have Samsung Galaxy Tabs and Wi-Fi Hotspots available for patrons to check out. These items must first be put on hold and then retrieved at the Circulation Desk. 

A black Samsung Tab and a black Hotspot with their chargers on a grey table. The Samsung Tab is turned on to the Home Screen and its charger is white. The hotspot has a Tyler Public Library address label on it and its charger is black.

Seed Library

The Barbara Bass Seed Library is a collection of seeds available for Tyler Public Library patrons to grow at home. This program encourages health and learning by helping local residents start their own gardens.

How It Works

Pick Your Seeds: You must have a Tyler Public Library Card. Patrons can take up to 15 packets of seeds per family per year.

Bring Seeds Back: After the season, bring us seeds that you have harvested from your crops to help us replenish the seed collection for other patrons.

What We Offer

Fruits & Vegetables

  • Beans, Beets, Broccoli
  • Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Chard, Corn, Cucumber
  • Herbs, Eggplant, Lettuce
  • Onion, Peas, Peppers, Pumpkin
  • Radishes, Spinach, Squash
  • Tomatoes, Turnips

Ornamentals

We offer different flowers and ornamentals each season, dependent upon what has been brought back and donated.

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