The library at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., has never limited itself to lending books.
For years, students have been able to check out laptops, cameras, maps, even puppets.
Now, they can borrow bicycles, too.
In September, Concordia started its first bike-share program with a dozen bicycles, bought and donated by the student government. Now, if students are in the mood for a ride, they can scan their campus ID at the library and borrow a bicycle (and helmet) for free, four hours at a time.
"It all stems back to our fundamental goal, to provide our students with the resources that [they] need," said Laura Probst, the library director. "It's not just about books. … We're expanding what libraries are and mean."
Probst said a group of Concordia students proposed the idea after learning about a similar program at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The bicycles already had been purchased for a college program; all they needed was a library willing to handle the logistics.
Probst's reaction? "Well, yeah, why not?"
As of this week, the dozen bicycles have been checked out nearly 700 times since the start of school. Decorated in school colors (maroon and gold), they've become a familiar sight around town. They seem to mesh with a growing student interest in the environment and sustainable living. "We have a class that was going to visit a local museum, and rather than get in their cars, they decided they would ride the bikes," Probst said.
