The country's first library for the outdoors just opened

Anythink Nature Library opened in Adams County, Colorado, this year as the first library in the country built to lend gear for the outdoors rather than gear for the couch. Cardholders can check out snowshoes, binoculars, bird-watching kits, and fishing rods, all borrowed the same way you would borrow a novel. The library sits on 22 acres near a wildlife refuge, with trails running out the back door. Staff run guided hikes and stargazing nights for people who want to try the equipment before hauling it home. The idea is simple. Not everyone owns a pair of snowshoes, and buying them to find out you dislike snowshoeing is an expensive way to learn something about yourself. Late fees still apply, which raises the interesting question of what happens when you return a fishing rod three days overdue. The nearby refuge, for the record, was there first.