Philadelphia Library Launches Musical Instrument Lending Program
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Free Library of Philadelphia is adding musical instruments to the list of items you can borrow for free.
Starting Monday, they will launch the Music Instrument Collection (MIC) at the Parkway Central Library.
If you're an accomplished musician or just getting started, anyone with a library account in good standing can check out an instrument.
For now, music librarian Perry Genovese says only fretted, stringed instruments are available:
"So electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and ukulele."
There's a base, too. And each instrument comes, he says, with all the tools you'll need:
"Everything comes with a tuner, everything comes with recycled free library card picks, everything comes with a strap, except for the ukulele, which, ukuleles don't have straps."
And there are amps available too. For now, the instruments are loaned for three weeks, and you can't renew it right away.
Genovese says patrons have been asking for this kind of program for years, and he's excited to get started:
"Philadelphia is one of the most passionate cities of music, that I know of. And it's really cool to have those crafts available, to put the tools of the craft into the hands of people."
He says the library is hoping to expand to other instrument families, and if you have an instrument you'd like to donate, they'd love to have it.
