GoPros. Theraguns. Bounce castles. State park passes. At Anythink Libraries, the checkout desk offers more than just a good adventure read; it invites you to have your own.
Since 2020, Anythink Libraries—an innovative nonprofit library system serving Adams County with branches from Brighton to Bennett and a bookmobile that brings the library to your doorstep—has been reimagining what libraries can be with its TryIts collection. This catalog includes high-interest, often cost-prohibitive items like outdoor gear, musical instruments, and art kits, all free to check out with a library card.
“We want to spark curiosity,” says Annette Martinez, branch manager of the Perl Mack location in the residential Hilltop neighborhood of North Denver. “Libraries are about access, and that doesn’t just mean books.”
With over 1,325 items in the TryIts collection and nearly 900 checked out at any given time, it’s clear the community agrees. The offerings cover a wide range of interests: from slacklines, unicycles, and pickleball sets for the active types, to telescopes, microscopes, and STEM kits for budding scientists. Music lovers can borrow everything from electric guitars to vinyl and a record player. During the warmer months, lawn games fly off the shelves; in winter, snowshoes and crafting kits take their place. And then there’s the most requested item of all: the ghost hunting kit—complete with a spirit box, digital voice recorder, UV flashlight, and infrared thermometer.
The collection continues to grow, fueled by community suggestions. It’s one of the many ways Anythink branches feel less like traditional libraries and more like imagination labs crossed with neighborhood rec centers. Here, discovery isn’t just encouraged—it’s available at checkout.
