Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rent?

The public library in my hometown used to lend reproductions of famous paintings. (I know! How cool is that?!) So, my mom, being the crafty, eye-for-home-decor lady she is, would check out a half-dozen different pieces of art every few months. The check out sleeve and ticket were on the back. We had some favorites as well as some that I remember being a bit spooky. Eventually, due to the fact that we may have been the only family in town to actually use this service, the library put the paintings up for sale. Mom snagged a few good ones and, with some hard-earned babysitting cash, I was even able to buy my favorite (a George Stubbs "mini-masterpiece" -- I was a wee bit obsessed with horses. My hand is in the pic to show you just how "mini" it is). My brother got one with a little tiger cub staring at a bumblebee, his ears pricked, his paddy paw raised. Mom would say, "One of these days, that little tiger's gonna catch that bee, just watch!"

Do libraries still do this? And that got me thinking about other sorts of rental /lending services. What I would like is a local toy lending library. Pittsburgh seems to have just what I'm looking for, except that it's... well, it's in Pittsburgh. I've got a variation of it in my own house, storing two thirds of Leah's toys in the closet to be on rotation, but how neat would it be to borrow a couple of toys every week, swap them out for different ones after that, and ballroom dance in all the free space left over in our house!

A smartie-pants on www.whynot.net put forth the idea in terms of a Netflix-style, fee-based system, but I love my library, and I love free stuff. Donated toys and toys purchased with donated or granted dollars could get the lending library up and running. And everything else would run essentially the same as any library loan.

Madison seems to be having success with its Community Car program, and may be well known for its red and yellow bikes project. Then there's programs like Madison Stuff Exchange, Freecycle and the freebies on Craigslist. I wonder what else you can rent/borrow?

Thanks for "lending" me your ear. ;)