The Chestermere Public Library is giving community members who want to try a new hobby but aren’t sure where to start, a chance to Test Drive a Hobby.
“The kits were chosen to cover a broad range of activities and interests, and they were all chosen with the idea that they contain everything someone needs to try out a new hobby,” Chestermere Public Library Community Librarian Jackson Longworth said. “We have a range of hobbies, some are more physical, some are social, some are creative, some are more about self-discovery and development.”
There are currently 12 Test Drive a Hobby Kits available including meditation, yoga, ukulele, acrylic painting, watercolour painting, crochet, origami, rock tumbling, soap making,
magic, tarot and palm reading, and board games. Another 15 kits will soon be available and include ghost hunting, astronomy, coding, and badminton.
“The currently available kits are quite popular and we’re very excited to be releasing more,” Longworth said.
All of the kits include the instructions to the new hobby, the materials needed, and a guide to more resources if the user wants to learn more about the new hobby.
“Residents can expect to be able to choose from a collection of ready-to-go kits with a diverse range of activities and hobbies to try,” Longworth said. “One thing that doesn’t change is that every kit has everything you need to try out the hobby yourself.”
In the past, the library has had three sets of Nordic walking poles that patrons could borrow, and it was always a popular initiative throughout the summer. However, the Test Drive a Hobby Kits and the new borrowable Wi-Fi hubs and iPads are the library’s first steps in offering even more services to patrons.
The Test Drive a Hobby Kits were possible after the library received a grant from the City of Chestermere to support the mental health of community members.
“Life is tough for a lot of people right now, and we hope that giving people the opportunity to try something fun and different that they might not have done before can provide some support, hope, and distraction,” Longworth said. “We’d be very happy to know that we helped someone discover a new hobby or activity that they keep pursuing after they return the kit to the library.”
