August 2025

Fort Bend County Libraries is now accepting donations of items for a new “Library of Things” collection that will launch this fall. The pilot program will be available at George Memorial Library in Richmond, but items can be donated at any location in the Fort Bend County library system during regular business hours.

The Library of Things is a community-driven initiative that lets people borrow useful, non-traditional items just like books. It promotes sustainability, saves money, and encourages sharing by giving everyone access to donated items they may only need occasionally or would like to try out before making a purchase.

Examples of items that could be donated include, but are not limited to:

• exercise equipment (yoga mats and blocks, resistance bands, dumbbells and hand weights, foam rollers)
• kitchen gadgets (bakeware, cake pans, measuring spoons/cups, blenders)
• simple tools (gardening, small home repair, extension cords)
• art kits / craft supplies
• games (playing cards, board games, big yard games, puzzles, videogames)
• travel / recreational gear (tents, sleeping bags, air mattress, fishing poles, binoculars)
• tech accessories (headphones, webcams, projectors, speakers)
• blood-pressure monitors, crutches
• aromatherapy diffusers, light-therapy lamps, sleep sound machines, stress-relief kits (stress balls, fidget toys)
• telescope
• seeds / spices

Donations are tax-deductible.

The Library of Things collection is the result of a grass-roots effort led by Jordan High School seniors Kyle Nguyen and Rishan Hemrajani, who envisioned a countywide shared repository of items that neighbors could borrow without needing to purchase for a one-time use.