Public libraries are more than places to get books — they serve as community hubs. From lifelong learning classes to children's story times, libraries offer a rare neutral space for people to gather, learn and be in community.
With an endless range of free resources, making learning and exploration accessible to everyone, libraries are about social equity and meeting the needs of their communities. A library can also be a place to find shelter, company, and a place to rest and use the bathroom.
As U.S. academic and library advocate R. David Lankes said, “Good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.”
Nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and the Wet Mountains in Custer County, Colorado, the West Custer County Library (WCCL) in Westcliffe offers a wide range of things to check out besides books including hiking and camping gear (with a camping stove and hammock), state park passes, metal detectors, passes to Pueblo Zoo, fishing poles and tackle, a birding guide with binoculars, a telescope, and Reminiscence Kits (for families who have a loved one with dementia.)
WCCL recently added a new selection to its offerings — a new musical instrument library — the Hayseeds Instrument Library. The kickoff party, also called a musical instrument petting party — a concept used by symphonies worldwide — proved to be a success last month, with many people checking out and learning to play new instruments.
Heidi Claire, co-founder of the Hayseeds Instrument Library, says the goal is to offer the community a chance to get a feel for an instrument.
“Come and check out a ukulele, a banjo ukulele, a guitar, a mandolin. If maybe you don't want to commit to it, you don't wanna buy one, you're not ready, you can't afford it, or you just don't want to make that commitment, and so it's a way for you to just test it out,” Claire said.
The Hayseeds Instrument Library is a program created by the High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival Board of Directors in collaboration with the West Custer County Library.
The program includes the instrument library but also offers music lessons to library patrons and creates opportunities for musicians to play together.
“ So we intend to have jam sessions once a month to begin,” said Claire.
“We do think that people will end up performing just, you know, maybe farmer's markets, something fun and simple, but this is meant to be good for your health, good for your brain, but also just fun.”
This program is co-sponsored by the High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival and the library. The High Mountain Hay Fever Festival purchased the musical instrument collection.
The "Hayseeds" name comes from the festival's youth music camp, High Mountain Hayseeds, which is held every year during the bluegrass festival weekend.
Claire says the Hayseeds Instrument Library was inspired by the youth program, and she hopes library patrons availing of the instrument library will collaborate with the High Mountain Hayseeds during the upcoming High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival in July.
Copyright 2025 Rocky Mountain Community Radio. This story was shared via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a network of public media stations in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico, including Aspen Public Radio.