Donated snowshoes add to Troy Public Library’s ‘Library of Things’
With the official start of spring next week, the coming days might be the last chance to locally enjoy winter activities this season, including snowshoeing. The library branch in downtown Troy now has snowshoes available for the public to borrow.
The Albany Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) donated the seven pairs of snowshoes to the Troy Public Library. The snowshoes, which are in adult and kid sizes, are now available to loan out, with the goal of improving access to outdoor recreational activities.
Along with the Winter Walker snowshoes from L.L. Bean, the local ADK chapter also donated sets of trekking poles, extra baskets for the poles, and carrying bags for the snowshoes.
The donation will become part of the region’s “Library of Things.” For example, many libraries, including Troy, loan out museum passes and Empire passes for New York State Parks. The Brunswick Community Library and East Greenbush Community Library also both loan out snowshoes. The Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar lists instruments, tools, entertainment, board games, electronics, and video games on its Library of Things site. People are able to borrow anything from binoculars to a karaoke machine. Now, people will also be able to loan out snowshoes in Troy.
“We’re excited to make it easier for families, couples, groups of friends — anyone — to try out snowshoeing,” said Danielle Sanzone, the local ADK chapter’s membership chair, in a press release. “It’s a fun and easy winter activity, now made even easier with access to snowshoes that can be loaned from the library.”
Library-goers in Troy have access to four pairs of adultsized and three pairs of kidssized snowshoes at the downtown Troy branch. There is no fee or collateral required at this time to borrow the equipment. The snowshoes cannot be transported between library branches.
The snowshoes donation had to be approved by the local ADK chapter’s executive committee and approved by the statewide ADK leadership.
A community library of outdoor recreational equipment was an idea that ADK’s first Black summit steward, Klarisse Torriente, a former employee of Joseph’s House and Shelter in Troy, discussed with Sanzone last winter. Efforts continue, on the local and statewide levels in ADK, to expand access to the outdoors year-round.
“We finally have some snow in the region and there’s still some time this winter to try out a new activity,” Sanzone added. “I hope to see folks on the trails!
More information on the Albany chapter of ADK — a member, donor, and volunteersupported organization that reaches across New York to inspire people to enjoy the outdoors ethically — is available online at albany.adk.org.
Additional details about the Troy Public Library and its Library of Things can be found online at thetroylibrary.org.