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The Kitchen Library Developing a Circulating Collection of Kitchen Tools and Appliances

Executive summary

Despite an exciting, eventful first year of operations within the Central Library Kitchen, our users have expressed that an absence of loanable kitchen equipment presents barriers to the expansion of culinary literacy at home. Multnomah County Library offers circulating collections of books, multimedia items, and other learning objects: so, why not kitchen tools and appliances? Utilizing the Library of Things model, this report advocates for exploring the viability of a Kitchen Library, operated by and within the Central Library Kitchen. Considerations for implementation of the Kitchen Library include needs assessments, collection development and cataloging policies, safety and cleanliness protocols, and funding. The potential for a QR code system, which can hyperlink kitchen tools to relevant library materials and services, is additionally explored. While the Kitchen Library concept should be evaluated critically, with the input of Multnomah County Library stakeholders, such a program would arguably further the Central Library Kitchen's commitment to making cooking approachable, accessible, and equitable for all.

Introduction

In the year since its initial launch, the Central Library Kitchen has shown exciting potential.

Kitchen staff have amassed an impressive roster of volunteer instructors and discussion leaders, resulting in a robust programming schedule of in-person and virtual cooking and nutrition classes, cookbook talks, and thought-provoking community discussions centering food’s cultural and natural contexts.

Internal data confirms that within the past month, cooking classes have drawn an average of 18 users per session.

The Kitchen’s most highly attended community discussion, to date—featuring a panel of Portland-based contestants from Bravo’s Top Chef—drew an audience of nearly 300, requiring the use of an overflow room.

Additionally, cookbook circulation has increased by approximately 40 percent across all branch libraries within the past year.

The Central Library Kitchen has demonstrated great value to the Multnomah County Library, our user base, and the Portland area’s culinary and agricultural industries.

It’s time that we consider expanding Kitchen services, in order to better meet the needs of our users.

As part of an internal evaluation, initiated six months after the Kitchen’s launch, we directly approached our users and volunteer instructors, to identify potential areas of improvement and expansion. Through a Qualtrics survey, in addition to several focus groups, a key theme emerged.

While our users feel empowered and engaged by our cooking classes, they often lack the means to further their culinary literacy when they step away from the library. Simply put, they don’t always have the kitchen tools and appliances on hand to execute a given recipe or project at home.

So, let’s give our users what they’re asking for.

We propose the development of a Kitchen Library: a circulating collection of kitchen tools and appliances, big and small, which can enable users to expand their culinary literacy away from the library.

From measuring cups to power juicers, from old-school canning equipment to cutting-edge immersion circulators, from pie pans to Moroccan tagines, we can offer our users a range of equipment to fill temporary gaps in their home kitchen inventory.

Whether our users aspire to learn a new culinary technique, explore an unfamiliar international cuisine, utilize a piece of equipment they can’t afford on their own, or evaluate a tool before purchasing it themselves, a well-designed, well-stocked, well-maintained Kitchen Library can facilitate these common home cooking needs.

While our central facility—the Kitchen—will remain the beating heart of our operation, culinary literacy should not begin and end here.

By offering a range of equipment for home use, we can promote a holistic vision of culinary literacy, through which users can apply and expand their knowledge, regardless of setting.

The flexibility, equitability, and accessibility enabled by this program will further our commitment to Multnomah County Library’s mission of “Empowering our community to learn and create.”

Precedence for the Kitchen Library

Claudelin, et al. (2022) might qualify the Kitchen Library concept as a Library of Things: that is, any library where collection practices extend beyond traditional holdings of books, multimedia items, and other information objects (p. 2).

Broner (2017) cites Berkeley’s Tool Lending Library—which opened to the public in 1979—as a formative and influential example of a Library of Things (p. 30). The Tool Lending Library offers a large inventory of freely loanable tools, while past programming has included safety workshops and carpentry classes (p. 40). Reflecting our intentions with the Kitchen Library, Broner notes the importance of supplementing Libraries of Things with educational and community-building initiatives (p. 38).

Currently, tool libraries operate within six continents, and at least five tool libraries serve the Portland area alone. While significantly less common, kitchen equipment libraries do indeed exist. Berkeley’s Tool Lending Library expanded its collection in 2021 to offer kitchen tools and appliances. While now defunct, Toronto’s own Kitchen Library served users from 2013 to 2016. Right here in Portland, Kitchen Share SE is a volunteer-run, donation-based kitchen tool and appliance library located inside a church.

Further planning for the Kitchen Library will likely involve coordinating with Kitchen Share SE, and learning from their experiences serving the Portland area. Libraries of Things located in neighboring cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton may prove to offer valuable models, as well. Each of these organizations should be evaluated as potential regional partners within future collaborative efforts (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007, p. 116).

Conditions for Developing the Kitchen Library

Needs Assessments

As with any user-centered service or collection, Kitchen Library equipment should be compiled with user needs in mind (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007, pp. 7-8). Broner (2017) recalls that Berkeley’s Tool Lending Library engaged users via community meetings before building its initial collection in 1979, in order to identify in-demand tools, and assess common projects and contexts for their use (p. 31). Similarly, before purchasing kitchen equipment, they distributed a survey to potential users in 2019.

Whether through focus groups, surveys, or other methods, our Kitchen Library should follow suit by conducting a needs assessment, in order to assure that collection development decisions reflect local demand (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007, pp. 29-30).

Collection Development

Broner (2017) asserts that when making purchasing decisions, tool librarians must consider usual collection development factors of “popularity, availability, and cost” in conjunction with factors of build quality, “sturdiness,” and ease of repair (pp. 32-33). Kitchen librarians will have to make similar judgements, particularly when assessing appliances, and other complex and/or delicate items.

Determining specific types of equipment which can or cannot be implemented within the collection will be an important process, as well. For example, might lending kitchen knives present overly severe safety hazards, or liability concerns? Which types of equipment might be especially prone to breakage, and prohibitively difficult or expensive to maintain? Where does the definition of “equipment” begin and end? Does silverware count? Setting the parameters of our collection development policy will be a crucial step in the development of this program.

Cataloging

There is precedence for cataloging tools and equipment via traditional formats such as MARC. However, Broner (2017) notes that such standards can be overly awkward when applied to functional devices (p. 35). Alternatively, cataloging systems such as Local Tools and Tool Librarian are arguably better suited to the task of cataloging, inventorying, and loaning equipment (p. 35).

While such applications might offer our program more practicality than MARC-based cataloging can, the Kitchen Library must consult with outside library staff to determine whether such a deviation from institutional cataloging policy could present too much confusion or complexity.

Policy Development

Given high costs of obtaining and maintaining kitchen equipment, fragility and breakability of certain items, and safety hazards presented by sharp blades and heat sources, Kitchen librarians must assure that items are loaned responsibly, to users who can be reasonably expected to use them competently and safely.

We propose a badge system, modeled after protocols implemented by instructional academic librarians. Through such a process, users can obtain certain borrowing privileges upon demonstrating relevant competencies through introductory cooking classes. For example:

  • A knife skills badge might allow users to borrow kitchen knives and other sharp items
  • A fire badge might allow users to borrow heat sources, such as griddles
  • A technician badge might allow users to borrow expensive and/or technically demanding equipment, including stand mixers and food dehydrators

Beyond competency assessment issues, cleanliness standards for outgoing and incoming items must be determined and closely observed, particularly according to mandates issued by the Multnomah County Health Department.

Funding

While the proposed budget for the Kitchen Library remains undetermined, several sources of funding should be considered. Pursuing an additional endowment from the Oregon Community Foundation—which has fully funded existing Central Library Kitchen operations for the next five years—should be explored. Seeking grants from other community-oriented nonprofits should be considered, as well. Additionally, given Multnomah County’s recent history of approving library bonds at the ballot box, the Kitchen Library may benefit from seeking an apportionment of a future public bond for long-term funding.

Hyperlinking the Kitchen Library

The Kitchen Library’s position within the Central Library Kitchen—and thus, the greater Multnomah County Library—will present exciting opportunities for integration and promotion of library materials and resources.

We propose a QR code system, by which tools within the Kitchen Library can be hyperlinked to related items within the larger collection, and beyond.

Consider, for instance, a QR code affixed to a pasta maker, available for loan in the Kitchen Library. Scanning the code with one’s smartphone might yield a LibGuide, offering annotated links to resources such as:

  • An instruction manual
  • Records for relevant cookbooks, and other related texts, within the library’s OPAC
  • Links to online recipes which incorporate the tool in question, whether through dedicated cooking websites, or within library subscriptions including the New York Times
  • Links to cooking demonstration videos, and other relevant video content, whether on YouTube or through subscription databases such as Kanopy
  • Listings of relevant, upcoming Central Library Kitchen classes and events, as well as any related opportunities offered by community partners

Ahearn (2014) observes that libraries can successfully promote materials within their collections by linking data via QR codes, and emphasizes the awareness drawn to underutilized subscription databases, as a result (pp. 74-75). Additionally, placing QR codes within a consistent, aesthetically pleasing design template can ensure their visibility, and promote awareness and use.

However, despite evidence of the effectiveness of QR codes in library contexts, not all our users are likely to have—or want to use—smartphones and similar devices. Elmore and Stephens (2012) confirm that QR codes, when relied upon too heavily, can obstruct equitable access to library materials and services (pp. 33-34). As such, we should plan to supplement any QR code system with print guides which coordinate kitchen tools with relevant library and community resources.

Conclusion

Mathews (2012) asserts that in order to remain relevant and innovative, libraries must “[seize] the white space”: that is, recognize what is not being done, and address such gaps with creative, forward-thinking solutions (p. 5). Through conversations with our users and volunteer instructors, we have identified the “white space” that surrounds the Central Library Kitchen: the lack of loanable kitchen equipment.

Given the degree to which the Kitchen has already captured the imaginations of our users, we should take their constructive criticisms to heart, and seriously consider the possibility of implementing a circulating collection of the tools which make our in-person cooking classes possible. By expanding the reach of the Central Library Kitchen, and enabling at-home culinary literacy through the Kitchen Library, we can further our commitment to making cooking accessible, equitable, engaging, fulfilling, and fun.

References

Ahearn, C. (2014). QR codes: Taking collections further. Knowledge Quest, 42(4), 71-75.

Broner, A. (2017). Measure twice, cut once: A long-lasting tool lending library in Berkeley. In Robison, M., & Shedd, L. (Eds.), Audio Recorders to Zucchini Seeds: Building a Library of Things (pp. 29-41). Libraries Unlimited.

Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service. Information Today, Inc.

Claudelin, A., Tuominen, K., & Vanhamäki, S. (2022). Sustainability perspectives of the sharing economy: Process of creating a Library of Things in Finland. Sustainability, 14(11), Article #6627. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116627

Elmore, L., & Stephens, D. (2012). The application of QR codes in UK academic libraries. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 18(1), 26-42. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2012.654679

Mathews, B. (2012). Think like a startup: A white paper to inspire library entrepreneurialism. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/18649/Think%20like%20a%20STARTUP.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Images courtesy of Adobe Stock

Credits:

Created with images by Mara Zemgaliete - "kitchen utensil" • Pixel-Shot - "Chef and group of young people during cooking classes" • ktasimar - "Thai cooking class" • Pixel-Shot - "Woman sieving flour in kitchen" • Monster Ztudio - "Emotions face miniature colourful. Happy smiley and sadness emotional" • Yakobchuk Olena - "Selective focus of the electric stand mixer on the countertop" • bit24 - "Fermented preserved food" • DisobeyArt - "Young woman chef cooking outdoor while streaming online for webinar video lesson at home during isolation quarantine - Food concept - Main focus on vegetables" • Nomad_Soul - "Mechanical tools for auto service and car repair" • Анжеліка Волошина - "A man works with a checklist." • martinfredy - "Kitchen tools on a wooden table. Cook's tools. Traditional equipment of rural cuisine." • MIA Studio - "Old wooden textured drawers background in chinese herbal medicine shop in china.Vintage asian objects." • Monster Ztudio - "Law and justice, Legality concept, Close up of scales symbol of Justice" • Andrii Yalanskyi - "The piggy bank looks at the tax calculator. Real estate tax. Taxation on purchase or sale. Fees and duties. Annual taxes relief. Accounting and audit. Saving. Payment deferment." • bilanol - "Closeup of guest hand ordering meal in restaurant while scanning qr code with mobile phone for online menu" • tatomm - "kitchen utensils for cooking on the blue background, food prepare concept" • Rawpixel.com - "People cooking healthy food in the kitchen"

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