The first time I heard about them, I assumed I misheard.
A ghost-hunting kit.
A karaoke machine.
A robotic cat that purrs when you pet it.
These are not the offerings of a startup, or a tech incubator. Nope. They’re all available to borrow at the Royal Oak Public Library — which, under the thoughtful leadership of director Sandy Irwin, is redefining what a library can be.
“People still think of libraries as books, and that’s wonderful,” Irwin says. “Our community reads a lot, and we love that. But the question now is: what else can your community library offer you that you might not be able to try on your own?”
That question is at the heart of the library’s growing Library of Things: a collection of non-book items designed to support curiosity, creativity, comfort, and everyday life.
At its simplest, the Library of Things is practical. Soil testers. Knitting tools. Baking pans. Camping equipment. Microscopes and telescopes. Laptop cases for job seekers. Accessibility kits — tools to button shirts, reach high shelves, and otherwise make aging at home easier.
“A lot of people are struggling right now,” Irwin says. “Libraries have always been there to help people get through life.”
But many of the items go beyond practicality. One of the most requested items? Board games and puzzles.
Then there are the items that stop you mid-sentence.
Like the robot cat.
Irwin remembers when it was first checked out, by a family whose young daughter was hospitalized for an extended period.
“It wasn’t a real cat,” she says gently. “But it purred. It made sounds. And it comforted her.”
The child missed her pets at home. The robotic cat became a stand-in — and a conversation starter when nurses or visitors entered her room.
“She dressed it up with ribbons,” Irwin recalls, smiling. “They even sent us pictures.”
The library later added a robotic dog, as well as a weighted stuffed dog designed to sit in someone’s lap. These robot companions are especially meaningful for people in assisted living or memory care facilities, where real pets aren’t allowed.
“These things aren’t just practical,” Irwin says. “They’re meaningful. Sometimes people just need comfort.”
Behind the Library of Things is librarian Megan Novak, who’s responsible for selecting these extraordinary items.
“She’s incredibly creative,” Irwin says. “She’s always asking: what might people need? What might they want to try?”
Megan created a bird-watching kit, complete with binoculars and a field guide to local birds. She tracks suggestions, studies what other libraries are doing, and pays close attention to how items are used once they’re in circulation.
“A very large percentage of the collection is checked out at any given time,” Irwin notes. “People are open to trying things.”
That openness spans generations, from young families to older adults, all discovering tools that make daily life easier, richer, or simply more fun. Like that ghost-hunting kit, which makes game night weirder — and spookier.
The Library of Things also leans into nostalgia with its vinyl record collection. Along with albums across genres, the library lends record players that connect via Bluetooth, making vinyl accessible even to first-time listeners.
“People want to hear that crackle,” Irwin says. “They want to put the needle down.”
The collection was curated by librarian Emily Crosby, whose deep musical knowledge spans everything from show tunes to blues to hard rock.
“It’s not just about the music,” Irwin adds. “It’s the liner notes. The cover art. Listening to albums in song order, for a reason.”
And sure, people with gray in their beards check them out. But so do teenagers. And so do millennials.
“It’s all ages,” she says. “People are curious about the past, and about why vinyl has come back.”
All of this innovation hasn’t replaced books. It’s expanded how books live in the community.
The Royal Oak Public Library still circulates thousands of titles, but it also has unique plans for how they’re shared.
Book club kits — multiple copies of the same title bundled for groups — make it possible to start a book club without asking everyone to buy their own copy. And for readers on the move, there’s the LibCabinet, a book vending machine located inside Woodward Corner Market. Stocked with rotating bestsellers, it lets patrons check out books even when the main library is closed.
They’re both reminders that the modern library doesn’t wait for people to come to it. It meets them where they already are.
And meeting people where they are describes two of the library’s more heartwarming programs: a home delivery program for homebound patrons, and library cards for people without a permanent address.
Irwin recalls one unhoused man who told her, “You’re the first person who spoke to me nicely today.”
“He said he liked coming to the library because no one judged him,” she says. “He could read. Use the computer. Just be.”
Irwin believes libraries are becoming even more essential in a world flooded with information — and misinformation.
“AI is here,” she says. “And people need to be discerning.”
Libraries help patrons evaluate sources, verify information, and explore multiple perspectives, through resources like PressReader, which offers digital access to newspapers and magazines from around the world.
“Just because something looks real doesn’t mean it is,” Irwin says. “That’s where librarians come in.”
If money and maintenance weren’t an issue, what would Sandy want to add to the library’s ‘things’ collection?
“I’d love to check out electric vehicles,” Irwin says. “Or e-bikes. Let people try alternative ways of getting around.”
It’s a fitting answer from someone who sees the library as a living, responsive part of the community. We’re used to thinking of libraries as places that hold books. But ours has reimagined itself into a place that offers whatever’s needed… maybe even before someone realizes they need it.
The Royal Oak Public Library (ropl.org) is at 222 E. 11 Mile Road
“People still think of libraries as books, and that’s wonderful. But what else can your community library offer you that you might not be able to try on your own?”