The Educator Lending Library is a free service provided by the Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub, housed at Linn-Benton Community College, and available to all public school educators in Linn and Benton Counties. The collection includes over 100 whole-classroom STEAM kits, supporting Pre-K through 12th grade, designed with equity, access, and ease of use in mind.

Kits are delivered directly from our location on the LBCC Albany campus to each of the 11 public school districts we serve, thanks to our partnership with the Linn Benton Lincoln ESD’s courier service. Each kit includes hands-on materials, teacher-friendly startup guides, and everything needed to engage large groups of students in active, enriching learning experiences.

From podcasting kits to hand tools, math games to snap circuits, and button makers to straw rockets, our kits are built to support social-emotional learning, enable differentiated instruction, and help educators integrate STEAM into any lesson, subject, or grade band. Our goal is to help foster STEM-capable mindsets and inspire a more equitable STEM future—empowering the next generation of innovators and problem solvers, one joyful lesson at a time. Access is simple through our user-friendly online catalog, and our team is here to help every step of the way. 

 

Here are the five simple steps to using the Educator Lending Library:

Step 1: Become a patron of the Educator Lending Library. Patrons have access to checking out STEAM kits for use in their classrooms. Simply fill out the patron sign-up form, wait (1-2 business days)  for an email prompt to set up a password.  After that, you are officially a Lending Library patron! In the meantime, visit our Lending Library resources page.

Step 2: Check out a STEAM kit. Browse our online library catalog and find a kit that meets your needs and supports your curriculum. Place a hold on the kits of your choice; you are able to have up to two kits checked out at once. Once you have placed a hold on an item, you can expect to receive a confirmation email within 2 business days. 

Step 3: For the fastest delivery, all kits that were reserved by 5 pm on Fridays will go out for distribution on Monday mornings of the following week. We drop off all of our outgoing kits once a week with the couriers at the LBL ESD. From there, the courier will drop off your kit at your district office. You (or your school’s courier, if you have one) will then retrieve your kit from the district office. This is a grassroots effort. Thank you for being patient, as it may take a few days for your STEAM kit to get to you. 

Step 4: Enjoy the STEAM kit. You have two weeks from the Friday of the delivery week to use your STEAM kit. For example, if your kit arrives on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, your kit will be due back on Friday, September 19, 2025. This means you’ll need to have your kit back at your district office by the end of business on September 19. You will receive automated emails to remind you that your due date is approaching. If you need more time with a STEAM kit, please reach out via email, and that can be arranged if there are no holds on that particular kit. 

Step 5: Returning your STEAM kits is a simple process. All you need to do is ensure that all of the kit’s pieces have made it back into the bin (clean and undamaged) that the kit arrived in. Replace the library card on the lid with the return address card included under your library card. The return card is located inside the same plastic sleeve as the library card with your name on it. Ensure that the kit is dropped off at the district office either personally or via your school’s courier.  Once the kit has safely landed in the shipping and receiving space at your district office, a courier will pick up the kit the next time they visit your district office (couriers visit twice per week) and drop it off at Linn-Benton Community College (Calapooia Center 212), where the Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub office is located. Once the kit has made it to our office, we will check it in and ship out the next items on your hold list. 

Have more questions? 

Check out our FAQ page.

Want to see what we offer before signing up? 

Visit the Educator Lending Library resource page. There, you can find a list of our offerings with downloadable PDFs of comprehensible resource packets for each kit. 

 

Contacts:

General email – midvalleystemctehub@linnbenton.edu

Program lead: Kacey Montgomery – montgok@linnbenton.edu

 

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