Books aren’t the only thing you can check out of Mills Library; bikes have just been added to the list.

McMaster University Library has partnered with Start the Cycle,* a McMaster student start-up initiative, to create the Mills Bike Library, a bike-lending service meant to provide students with equal access to sustainable transportation on campus.

There are three bikes currently available for checkout, free of charge, as well as a selection of helmets to choose from. Students simply come to the service desk at Mills Library and, using their student card, check out a bike, just as they would sign out a book.

“We know not all students can afford to buy or rent a bike. This service provides students with another option,” said Anne Pottier, Associate University Librarian. “We are so pleased to support this McMaster start-up initiative and we hope students will take advantage of this unique service.”

If the program is successful, more bikes will be added in the spring of 2015.

Check out a bike with these 6 easy steps

1. Take a look at the selection of bikes online, or in the compound behind University Hall..
2. Visit the service desk on the 1^st floor of Mills Library with your library card and tell them which bike you would like to borrow. You must fill out a waiver the first time you borrow a bike.
3. You will receive a package of information and the keys to unlock the bike of your choice
4. Safety first – you can borrow a sanitized helmet or bring your own.
5. Use the bike for 48 hours! It will be due back by 4:30pm, 2 days from the date borrowed – if you need it longer, renew it through your library account online
6. The helmet and key must be returned to the Service Desk, not the external Book Drop. Check Mills Library hours.

*Start the Cycle is a non-profit company that develops bike share programs for youth to encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle by being active in their city. The company’s co-founders are PhD candidate Charles Burke and master’s student Justin Hall.