The Czech Republic’s First Library of Stuff Opens in Prague

For anyone who moves around a lot, the latest innovation and cultural trend to hit the Czech lands could prove incredibly useful.

The Library of Things (Knihovna věcí) is a new kind of library in Prague where, alongside books and movies, everyday objects are in circulation.

As a part of the Goethe-Institute, the library is, according to the organization’s website:

“A meeting place for people interested in sharing knowledge, tools, and useful items…from us you can borrow objects, tools, or toys. Fifty useful things that you do not have to buy.”

The library, which will also be offering creative workshops where you can learn to operate a sewing machine, bake bread, or use a telescope to observe the stars, is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic, and is aimed at curbing wasteful spending.

“Too often we buy expensive items that we use very rarely. These items not only take up space in our homes, but also in their mass production generate considerable pressure on the limited resources of our country. The Library of Things offers an…environmentally friendly way to use these things,” says the Goethe-Institute site.

Items, which range from carseats to cameras, are on loan from Tuesday-Thursday (13:00-19:00) and Friday-Saturday (11:00-17:00).