MLC has a variety of non-traditional items for public libraries to borrow. Contact Charlie Simpkins, Special Collections Coordinator, to borrow any of the items on this page: csimpkins@mlc.lib.ms.us or 601-432-4498. As these items are in the closed stacks unavailable for browsing, please contact Charlie directly before coming to MLC.

More details on all kits can be found at the Special Collections LibGuide. Visit mlc.libguides.com and select Special Collections.

 

Book Club in a Box Kits

Book Club in a Box Kits are just that: ten copies of the same book along with discussion questions ready for schools and libraries to check out for their book club groups. Kits are available for a three-month period (time to receive, distribute, read, and discuss).

Available titles:

Book Club Kit Collections–updated September 2023

 

3Doodler Kit 

The 3Doodler Kit contains 6 3D pens–think of it as entry-level 3D printing. Draw in the air to make designs come to life!

 

Bird Watching Kit

The bird-watching kit comes with one bird feeder (bird feed not included), ten pairs of binoculars in carrying cases, ten Mississippi Birds folding guides, and one Birds of Mississippi field guidebook.

 

Buttonmakers

The buttonmakers are available for checkout and come with supplies to make round 2.5” buttons as well. Pickup only.

 

Coding Kits

Check out some of the following kits to introduce coding concepts to young patrons!

• Botley the Coding Robot Activity Kit
• Code and Go Robot Mouse Activity Set

 

Costumes

Check out costumes to make a program extra special or to get attention at an outreach event!

Inflatable Costumes:

• Axolotl (Pink)
• Christmas Tree Costume (multiple sets)
• Cow
• Dinosaur (Diplodocus)
• Dinosaur (T-Rex)
• Eagle
• Elephant
• Flamingo
• Giant Inflatable Wavy Arm Guy
• Gingerbread Man Costume (multiple sets)
• Hot Dog
• Kitten
• Koala
• Puppy
• Rideable Chicken
• Rideable Dinosaur
• Rideable Unicorn
• Shark (Blue)
• Shark (Gray)
• Unicorn

Regular Costumes:

• Santa (2 sets available. Includes hat, beard, gloves, and shoe covers. Beard does NOT need to be returned.)

 

Crafting Kits

Use our crafting to test out a Crafting Club, seeing what crafting your community is interested in. For information about your library using the crafting database Creativebug, contact Information Services Director Alex Brower at abrower@mlc.lib.ms.us or 601-432-4117.

• Cricut Maker (coming soon!)
• Crocheting Kit
• Knitting Kit
• Sewing Machines! (Must pick up and return in person.)

Sewing Pattern Kits

• Animals
• Apron
• Ornaments
• Pillows and Dishtowels

 

Dinosaur Bones (Foam bones!)

Do you have kids in your community who love dinosaurs? Would you like a unique activity to add to a dinosaur-themed event? Then check out our small or medium foam dinosaur bones. Use them to build a real dinosaur or create your own!

 

Games

Borrow up to three games at a time for use at your game night, or test out a few to see how your community responds. Some games (Boggle, Scrabble, Jenga) can be left out on tables for passive programming; others are for planned events where making noise is part of the fun.

• Apples to Apples: Party Edition
• Balderdash
• Boggle: the 3-minute word game
• Bugs in the Kitchen
• Cabo Card Game
• Calliope Tsuro: The Game of the Path
• Carcassonne
• Circular Reasoning
• Game of 49
• Going, Going, GONE!
• Jenga
• Know!
• Labyrinth
• Planet
• Quelf: the Unpredictable Party Game Where You Obey the Card
• Qwirkle
• Qwirkle Rummy
• Qwirkle Travel
• Santorini
• Scattergories (missing timer; use a stopwatch or phone)
• Scrabble
• Settlers of Catan
• Shut the Box
• Splendor
• ThinkFun: Chocolate Fix
• ThinkFun: Circuit Maze
• ThinkFun: Cold Case: A Story to Die For: A Murder Mystery Game in a Box
• ThinkFun: Domino Maze
• ThinkFun: Gravity Maze Marble Run
• ThinkFun: Invasion of the Cow Snatchers
• ThinkFun: Potato Pirates Coding Card Game
• ThinkFun: Robot Turtles
• ThinkFun: Roller Coaster Challenge
• ThinkFun: Rush Hour Traffic Jam
• Ticket to Ride
• Trekking the National Parks
• Trekking the World
• Walking Dead Yahtzee
• Wingspan
• WordSpeil Card Game
• Zangle Card Game

Oversized games:

• Giant 4-In-A-Row Game (3′ size) (Must pick and return in person.)
• Giant Right Center Left Wild Dice Game
• Kan Jam Original Disc Toss Ultimate Backyard Game
• Ladder Ball (Must pick and return in person.)
• Towerball (Must pick and return in person.)
• Yard Pong

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)

• Starter Set (Basic)
• Starter Set (Advanced)
• Candlekeep Mysteries
• Curse of Strahd
• Dungeon Master’s Guide
• Monster Manual
• Mordenkainen presents Monsters of the Multiverse
• Players Handbook
• Tales from the Yawning Portal
• Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
• Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
• Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
• Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

 

Kid’s Musical Percussion Sets

Did you know that when children use instruments to make music, it assists in the development of dexterity, creativity, and confidence? Plus they get to have fun! Check out one of our Kid’s Musical Percussion Sets, which includes the following:

• 1 double-ended tone block with a beater
• 2 maracas
• 2 egg shakers
• 2 handbells
• 2 wrist bells
• 1 multi-colored wooden jingle handbell
• 1 triangle with striker
• 2 finger cymbals
• 2 castanets
• 2 wooden claves
• 1 xylophone with mallets
• 1 tambourine
• 1 zippered plastic bag

 

LEGO and DUPLO Blocks

One set of 15,000 regular LEGO blocks and one set of 450 DUPLO blocks are available to borrow separately.

 

littleBits Kits

Little Bits Circuit Kit is a great way to get started with the simple concepts of circuitry. Pieces snap together and teach inputs and outputs.

• Gizmos and Gadgets set
• Space set
• STEAM set
• Synth set
• Workshop set (contains 12 sets of 20 bits)

 

Makey Makey

The Makey Makey two-sided circuit board turns everyday objects into replacement keyboards and mice. Learn to turn a banana into a spacebar or use Play-Doh to play a tune! A laptop is required to run this kit, but MLC can loan you one.

 

Mobile Archive Project

With the Mobile Archive Project, libraries can check out a portable scanner for digitizing materials. The kit contains a portable scanner, a laptop with scanner software installed, a black background mat, and all the necessary cables and accessories, but most importantly, the kit comes with a live training session. The kit must be picked up at MLC and can be returned in person or via FedEx with insurance.

 

Photography Kit

Our photography kit contains five digital cameras, five copies of a book of photography prompts, and accessories. The kit must be picked up at MLC and can be returned in person or via FedEx with insurance.

 

Puppet Kits

Puppet kits contain themed groups of puppets with accompanying books ready for storytimes. Click here for a complete list of puppet kits available.

 

 

Snap Circuits

Snap Circuits is a fun and engaging way to learn basic engineering, electronics, and circuitry concepts.  Just follow the colorful diagrams in the manual to create exciting projects!

• 3D Illumination Electronics Exploration Kit
• Arcade Electronics Exploration Kit
• Extreme Student Electronics Training Program Kit (multiple sets)
• Green/Alternate Energy Electronics Exploration Kit
• Lights Electronics Discovery Kit

 

Solar Science Kits

Created by the Space Science Institute, these program-in-a-box kits can be used for special solar eclipse events or general solar science programming. Must be picked up and returned in person.

• Solar Science Younger Audience kits (from early learners through elementary school)
• Solar Science All Ages kits

 

Squishy Circuits

Playdough + Electricity = Lights? Learn about simple circuitry concepts using conductive and insulating playdough to activate lights, buzzers, or fans. Recipes for conductive and insulating playdough are provided!

 

STEM Kits

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It helps develop collaboration, creative thinking, a curious mind, and problem-solving. Check out these kits that can help support STEM programming in your library!

• Cardboard Engineering Kit
• Engino Discovering STEM: Mechanics: Wheels, Axels, and Inclined Planes
• Engino Discovering STEM: Newton’s Laws: Inertia, Momentum, Kinetic and Potential Energy
• Engino Discovering STEM: Structures: Construction and Bridges
• KEVA Planks
• Learning Resources: City Engineering and Design Building Kit
• Learning Resources: Playground Engineering and Design Building Kit

 

Storytime Kits

The following kits contain books and supplies for several themed activities:

Robot Reading Rally Kit:

The Robot Reading Rally book list and curriculum were created by the Mississippi State University Extension Service. This book club kit has been made available without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes.

• Robots, Robots, Everywhere! – Sue Fliess, illustrated by Bob Staake
• Monkey & Robot – Peter Catalanotto
• Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot – Dav Pilkey, art by Dan Santat
• The Robot Book – Heather Brown
• The Robot and the Bluebird – David Lucas
• The Trouble with Sisters and Robots – Steve Gritton
• Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit – Chris Van Dusen
• The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot – Margaret McNamara and Mark Fearing
• Welcome to Your Awesome Robot – Viviane Schwarz
• Robot Reading Rally Curriculum – MSU Extension Services
• Supplemental materials for 5 Robot Reading Rally activities

STEM Storytime Kit:

• White Rabbit’s Color Book – Alan Baker
• Mouse Paint – Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain – Verna Aardema, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal
• Parts – Tedd Arnold
• Three lesson plans with materials for five activities included

 

StoryWalks®

StoryWalks® are a great way to engage your community, both children and adults, with reading and the great outdoors. They are picture books that have been taken apart, laminated, and affixed to plastic boards which are placed on wire sticks. Place them along walking trails, or around parks or playgrounds to provide a unique reading experience. The current titles are:

• The Cow who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
• Creepy Carrot by Aaron Reynolds; illustrated by Peter Brown
• Dusk by Uri Shulevitz
• How to Fold a Taco (English and Spanish) by Naibe Reynoso; illustrated by Ana Varela
• Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan; illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
• Mr. Tiger goes Wild by Peter Brown
• Mississippi Poetry Walk (3 sets; features poems by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Frank O’Hara, Mary Oliver, Margaret Walker, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Wright)
• Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett; illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
• Run Wild by David Covell
• Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev; illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
• Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
• Thanks for Nothing: A Little Bruce Story by Ryan T. Higgins
• Zoogie Boogie Fever by Sujean Rim

 

Telescopes

Have some budding scientists in your library, or do you want to introduce some to the microscopic world? Then check out one of our AmScope Kids 52-piece Microscope Sets!

 

Ukuleles Set

Are you interested in introducing music to your programming and teaching your patrons how to play an instrument? Get started with our Ukuleles Set. It comes with 10 ukuleles with gig bags, extra strings, picks, straps, capos, and a 3-ring binder of music notations and chords, 16 pages.