The LAS is pleased to partner with the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) to expand a telescope lending program for the Louisville area. LFPL has been provided with several Newtonian tabletop reflector telescopes. These will allow patrons to see the planets and some of the brighter deep sky objects such as the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy.

Alterations to the telescopes have been made to make them more user friendly and easier to maintain. Also, the addition of a zoom lens obviates the need to change eyepieces and allows magnification levels from 19x - 56x to be obtained by the simple twist of a collar. Patrons must be 18 years of age and have a valid LFPL card to check out a telescope. An instruction manual, constellation book and head lamp will be provided. The lending period is for one week.

In addition to the telescopes, binoculars are also available for checkout. Included are two guides – Backyard Birds of America and Night Sky. Patrons must be 18 years of age and have a valid LFPL card to check out binoculars. The lending period is for one week.

LAS members will act as mentors at the library providing routine maintenance for the telescopes and as astronomical resources to staff and patrons.

Similar programs have been operational in other parts of the country with great success. The library scope program was the idea of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and has been active since 2008. Their goal was to foster scientific literacy, to stimulate interest in Astronomy and to enable people who have never looked through a telescope to experience the excitement that comes from discovery. They started with two scopes and have expanded to over 70.

A special thanks to Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group, for their grant to the LFPL. As a result of Genentech’s grant, LFPL offers telescopes and binoculars for check out at every LFPL location. The lending period is for one week and is limited to Louisville Free Public Library cardholders in good standing, 18 years or older.

Louisville

Main Library Branch

Bon Air Branch

Crescent Hill Branch

Fairdale Branch

Fern Creek Branch

Highlands – Shelby Park Branch

Iroquois Branch

Jeffersontown Branch

Middletown Branch

Newburg Branch

Northeast Regional Branch

Parkland Branch

Portland Branch

St. Matthews Branch

Shawnee Branch

Shively Branch

South Central Regional Branch

Southwest Branch

Western Branch

Outside of Louisville

LaRue County Public Library

Southern Indiana

New Albany Floyd County Library 

Jeffersonville Township Public Library 

Clarksville Branch of Jeffersonville Township Public Library