Now at the West Chester Public Library: Cake pans

WEST CHESTER » Libraries lend more than just books.

Thanks to a month-old library program, borough resident Heather Gallo and her six-year-old daughter Taylor found something to do on a rainy day.

The mother and daughter were among the first to borrow a specialty cake pan from the West Chester Public Library.

“I’m not a baker, but I gave it a shot,” Gallo said. “It was kind of like an art project, but it was edible.”

Taylor borrowed the enchanted castle cake pan after considering the bunny rabbit pan.

A rack at the bottom of the stairs on the first level of the library holds 22 cake pans. All the pans were donated and are stored in color-coded mesh bags, with detailed instructions and individual photos of the pans.

Patrons can borrow, at no cost, a ginger bread boy, a jack-o-lantern, birthday Barbie, Sponge Bob Square Pants or Winnie the Pooh, with a honey pot.

“They can go out and buy a cake pan for one birthday cake and then have it sitting around,” library Director Victoria Dow said, “or somebody can borrow from us and not have to go out and buy it.”

Library staffer Meg Diskin suggested the program after she saw on Facebook that her hometown library in Clinton, New York was lending cake pans.

The West Chester Public Library is the only library in the 18-member county system lending cake pans.

“The library should be a lot more than just books,” Diskin said. “This is a part of the community and we want people to come here for whatever they might need, whether it’s books, to use a computer or to bake a cake.

“Why spend money on something that you’ll only use occasionally?”

Gallo said that she and her daughter followed the detailed instructions. They topped the cake off with pink, white and purple frosting and sprinkles.

“It didn’t look like anything you’d see at the baker but it tasted good,” Gallo said.

Several of the pans are seasonal and patrons may borrow them for up to three weeks. Most pans are dishwasher-safe and the library staff charges a fee if pans are returned dirty.

Specialty pans can be reserved and put on hold and then delivered for pick up to every library in the system. Photos are available at the West Chester Pubic Library website.

And that’s not all that’s new at the library.

Dow is excited be lending “Go! Baby,” a cutting machine which saves time for quilt makers. Dow picked

out basic, simple designs. Quilters will be able to cut six blocks at once.

Patrons in West Chester can also borrow passes to the Academy of Natural Science and the Chester County Historical Society.

The library picks up the tab for two adults and three children to enter the museums. Several libraries in the system lend a wider variety of passes, including Chester County Library.

For those who like to stay connected when on the road, hot spots are available at a per-day charge at the Chester County Library.

For more information, go to wcpubliclibrary.org in the borough, or www. ccls.org for countywide services.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA West Chester Public Library staffer Chloe Montgomery shows off two of her favorite specialty cake pans, which are available for patrons to borrow.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA This is just a small sample of 22 specialty cake pans available for check-out at the West Chester Public Library.