Outdoor furniture for your library
If you have a library in a beautiful natural setting or surrounded by unused green space, it can be great to make use of that setting to include some areas to enjoy your loan items close by. To prevent theft, you can easily ask that users check books before heading outdoors or leave their library card as security for items that cannot leave the site such as the puzzles or board games some libraries keep on site.
Here are some ideas to give you some inspiration.
Cafe tables
If you offer puzzles or board games for playing within the library, it can be useful to have some cafe chairs and tables set up so that users can spread out and play with the items together. This can also encourage people to come to the library to share lunch or an afternoon snack or just stop in for some quiet time to glance through a new issue of a magazine. You can bring these in at night to prevent them from getting stolen or lost.
Hammocks
Another fun and relaxing idea is to set up hammocks for people to relax and enjoy some time at the library. This can encourage people to take out books and enjoy them on site and can be a great way to get more outdoors kids and adults into reading. If you don't have nearby trees to secure the hammocks, you can try using framed hammocks which are self-secured. Taking down the hammocks each night is a good idea to prevent the local wildlife from making a home in it overnight.
Outdoor rugs and bean bags
For children who are going through a more active stage, it can be hard to get them to sit still for a period of time to read. Bean bags or rugs can be a great way for parents to sit down and share a book with some kids, who might need to wiggle and move around to concentrate. This can be a great way to make the library accessible for people will all sorts of abilities and interests, who may find the traditional library atmosphere of sitting quietly and still off-putting and end up avoiding the space.
Outdoor furniture for your library can be a great way to draw in new clients and make your library accessible and welcoming to all sorts of users. It is also a great way to make the most of a beautiful outdoor space, which can be useful for space poor libraries.
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