Start with an actual household task
A missing kitchen appliance or a short-lived computer need can justify checking a Vineyard library before buying something. Choose the item first, then the library and return plan. A shared library network does not make every equipment loan interchangeable.
Edgartown Public Library lists a six-quart KitchenAid slow cooker, a portable projector with a DVD player, portable batteries and a car-battery jumper. Its collection page is an inventory of things it lends, not a promise that an item is on the shelf today. The current library is at 26 West Tisbury Road, Edgartown. Call 508-627-4221 before making a special journey.
For a slow-cooker meal, check the recipe and your accommodation’s cooking arrangements before collecting equipment. Ask staff which removable parts, lid and instructions belong with that particular unit. If it is unavailable, change the meal plan rather than treating the library as a guaranteed rental supplier.
Sources: Edgartown collection
Check the card and the equipment agreement
Edgartown issues free cards to Massachusetts residents and property owners. Visitors can apply for a temporary card for a one-time $10 fee, with up to ten items at once. Pickup requires photo ID. Its electronic-only CLAMS eCard is not a substitute for equipment-borrowing access.
The Library of Things agreement, adopted August 14, 2025, requires a CLAMS card in good standing and a borrower aged at least 18. It permits one of each distinct item per household, for two weeks. Read and sign the agreement; a temporary card’s eligibility for your chosen item should be confirmed at the desk.
The agreement publishes no deposit amount. It does make the borrower responsible for loss and damage, with replacement charged at current market cost. Ask about any item-specific charge before checkout; “no published deposit” should not be read as a guarantee of no financial responsibility.
Sources: Cards and closures, Equipment agreement
Resolve the hold instructions before planning around them
The equipment agreement prohibits reservations and renewals, while allowing staff to hold some items for one hour at their discretion. The collection page separately invites Chromebook holds. Because these instructions differ, have staff confirm the rule for your item instead of treating an online request as a reservation.
Return equipment clean, complete and with accessories to Edgartown during open hours. Do not use a book drop or return it to another library.
Make the return an explicit part of the plan: write down the due date, the desk’s opening time and who will carry the item back. For a holiday-week visit, choose an earlier return if your departure leaves no second opportunity. The library’s current notice says it is closed Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day.
Sources: Edgartown collection, Cards and closures, Equipment agreement
Use West Tisbury for a different equipment need
West Tisbury’s published collection includes a sewing machine, paper shredder, induction burner and bicycle tool kit. Its page offers catalogue request links, a two-week loan and return to West Tisbury Library. The physical address is 1042 State Road; the desk number is 508-693-3366.
That page does not settle every borrower-eligibility, deposit or item-specific loan question. Confirm those details with West Tisbury before relying on a request. Edgartown’s adult-card rule and reservation restriction should not be transferred to another library merely because both use CLAMS.
For either collection, finish with three answers: can this account borrow this item, can it be collected when needed, and can it be returned correctly? Keep the item’s contents together in its supplied container. If those answers do not fit the stay, borrowing something else is a better plan than leaving equipment behind after departure.
Sources: West Tisbury collection
