Food preservation is a popular hobby in Oregon, but it is also an important way that households can lower their food budget, reduce food waste and enjoy seasonal delicacies year-round. Particularly in rural areas, where grocery stores are often distant and prices are high, preserving seasonally abundant or surplus foods serves a vital role in building household food security and community resilience.
The equipment needed to preserve surplus foods, however, is often bulky, expensive and used only a handful of times per year. As a result, many households decide not to make the investment for their individual needs.
Since 2018, Oregon State University Extension Service Family and Community Health faculty across the state have built partnerships with local libraries and community centers to create Library of Things collections that focus on food preservation equipment.
Library of Things collections provide free equipment rentals to library patrons for limited time periods, allowing bulky or expensive pieces of equipment to circulate through the community to be shared and enjoyed by many residents.
OSU Extension faculty have advised local libraries on the purchase of equipment such as dehydrators, pressure canners and steam juicers, and they provide training to the librarians on the proper use and care of these pieces of equipment.
In addition, OSU Extension provides partnering libraries with a broad range of educational supports. At each rental, the library patron receives a short information sheet created by Extension that highlights the key features of the piece of equipment as well as important safety considerations.
Depending on the type of preservation involved, publications including recipes and further safety tips are also provided. Extension faculty also work with librarians to offer public workshops or demos at the library, highlighting the safe use of the equipment in the Library of Things collections.
In 2024, OSU Extension partnered with 14 libraries around the state, in both rural and urban settings, to facilitate food preservation-focused Library of Things collections. Counties benefiting from this service included Clackamas, Douglas, Harney, Hood River, Linn, Multnomah, Wallowa and Wasco. Equipment across these libraries was checked out more than 500 times.
In March of 2024, OSU Extension co-sponsored a conference with the Libraries of Eastern Oregon to share best practices in Library of Things collections across the Pacific Northwest. Over 100 participants from libraries and Extension offices in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington attended. As a result of the conference, Libraries of Eastern Oregon was able to leverage partnerships formed to secure additional funding for equipment purchases. Five new libraries will be added to the Library of Things food preservation project in 2025.
