Did you know that you can borrow an ukulele from a library? Or rather, do you know if your local library offers a “library of things” which may include a ukulele? All 51 branches of the Hawaii state libraries have ukuleles for loan. The Boston Public Library has several branches with ukuleles. The Milton Public Library in Massachusetts has ukuleles, too. Which other libraries also lend ukuleles?
Since there is no central database or website to inform the public which libraries offer a ukulele lending possibility, I’ve created a short Google Form to invite you to fill it out — if you have useful information. To thank you for contributing to this knowledgebase of libraries that have ukuleles to lend out, I’ll e-mail a new ukulele exercise I wrote. Now, aren’t you curious if your local library has ukuleles?
Testing and Recording Loaner Ukes
To find out more about borrowing ukuleles, I launch a new project to use the borrowed ukuleles to practise and record sheet music I have collected for high G ukulele. From my teaching experience, I guess that most ukuleles for loan are with high G string as the 4th string (the one closest to your face when you’re holding it) thus called reentrant tuning. Those ukuleles with low G strings follow what’s called linear tuning as with most stringed instruments.
One of my assumptions about loaner ukuleles is that they are not perfect. Basically, if these instruments have not been touched in a long time or not maintained (serviced), there may be problems such as the following:
- Can every string be tuned? A tuning peg may be loose and not be able to hold a string tight.
- Can every string hold its tune? Similar to the previous, strings can get loose easily and quickly.
- Any pings or annoying sounds?
- Fret line too high and cuts off the string, serving as a capo
- Missing or broken strings
Loaner Ukulele YouTube Playlist
I am saving my YouTube video recordings of borrowed ukuleles on a public playlist called Loaner Ukuleles. Playing on instruments that are not your own presents challenges of adaptation and being out of your comfort zone.
Below is the first piece from my collection. Tom McArdle has generously made his arrangements available in his dropbox, where you can find 17 pieces, including his own compositions. He has a YouTube channel where you can listen to his interpretation.
The ukulele I used in the above video is from the Milton Public Library in Massachusetts. The previous children’s librarian had played the ukulele and included it in her programs. The library of things on the second floor included five or six ukuleles. I borrowed one to experience the process of checking out an uke and to try it at home.
To my surprise, there was a brand new chargeable clip-on tuner packaged neatly in a box. It made me wonder if the ukulele, the black bag, and the boxed tuner had ever been checked out. Before me, that is.
Next: the story of the ukuleles at Adams Street Branch of the Boston Public Library.