Over the past several months, Jordan High School students Kyle Nguyen and Rishan Hemrajani have helped launch Fort Bend County’s new Library of Things, a program that allows residents to borrow useful but often expensive, rarely used items—such as tools, tech gear, or board games—just like checking out books at the library. The program was first featured in an August 21 story in the Katy Times. Since presenting their idea to Fort Bend County Library System Director Roosevelt Weeks and the County team in May 2025, the duo has organized community donation drives and already collected more than 200 items for neighbors to borrow. “The program’s goal is to foster sustainability, lifelong learning, and community connection while also saving families money on one-time purchases,” the pair said in an email to the Katy Times. They answered additional questions in an email interview.

What year/grades are each of you in at Jordan?

We are both seniors (Grade 12) at Jordan High School in Katy ISD. Kyle serves as the senior class president and is an active member of the Student Leadership Advisory Council, Student Athlete Leadership Team, and Young Adult Advisory Council at the Fulshear Branch Library. He also volunteers with Memorial Hermann, where he continues to strengthen his passion for service. Kyle is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field and hopes to advocate for public health issues in low-income and marginalized communities. Rishan is the president of Jordan High School Technology Student Association (TSA), where he won a national title this past summer, a NASA High School Aerospace Scholar, and a Young Adult Advisory Council Member of the Fulshear Branch Library. He is deeply involved with his international award-winning robotics team and hopes to integrate his love for computer science and passion for social sciences in his future career.

How did you get involved with the library?

We had always been regular visitors to the Fulshear Branch Library, whether it was to study, check out books, or work on school projects. One day, we noticed a flyer for the Young Adult Advisory Council and thought, “why not join?” From then on, we began attending monthly meetings with other teens, where we brainstormed ideas and organized activities to help bring more youth back into the library.

How did you learn about the "Library of Things"?

Our idea for the Fort Bend County Libraries Library of Things grew out of our own experiences as students. As Class President, Kyle frequently had to organize service projects and school events, such as the Jordan International Festival, which often required one-time items like decorations, power tools, or speakers. Meanwhile, as an officer of the Technology Student Association, Rishan often needed extra supplies for competition projects. Over time, we realized we had spent hundreds of dollars on items that were barely used. That realization sparked the idea of a shared community collection of items. When we

researched further, we discovered that Houston Public Library already had a Library of Things, but it was too far for us and many of our peers to access. We decided to take a chance and reached out to Fort Bend County Libraries Director Roosevelt Weeks to propose starting a local Library of Things—a complete shot in the dark, since we weren’t expecting a reply at all. To our surprise, just a few weeks (and a couple of unanswered emails) later, we were invited to meet with library leadership. From that meeting, the Fort Bend County Libraries Library of Things was born.

How did you go about collecting the items for the "Library of Things"?

We started with what we knew best: social media. We created an Instagram account, posted on Nextdoor, and shared updates on Facebook. At first, engagement was low; our posts barely reached anyone. But with consistency and effort, we slowly began to build momentum. We also started reaching out directly to family, friends, and neighbors, asking if they had items that could contribute to the collection and nearly every time, they did. Piece by piece, the Library of Things began to grow.

What are some of the more unusual items requested by the library for the "Library of Things"?

One of the more unusual but highly popular items in Library of Things collections is a telescope—and it’s easy to see why. It’s a fascinating tool that’s expensive to purchase, rarely used every day, and sparks curiosity in people of all ages. A projector is another unusual item that stands out in our Library of Things donation requests. It’s perfect for hosting movie nights, presentations, or community events, but it’s also the kind of item most people don’t own because of the cost and limited use.

What were some of the unusual things donated?

Among the more unusual donations we’ve received are a seed disperser and a chainsaw. Both stand out because they are tools most people would rarely think of borrowing from a library. A seed disperser is a niche gardening tool that makes planting more efficient, but it’s not something the average household would ever purchase for casual use. A chainsaw, on the other hand, is a heavy-duty piece of equipment that’s expensive, requires maintenance, and is often needed only once in a while for projects like trimming trees or storm cleanup.

How long did your collection drive take?

We don’t have just one specific drive: this is an ongoing project. We are continuously reaching out to schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to donate items and help us strengthen the foundation of the Library of Things. Our current outreach efforts have been going on for around the past month.

What items are still needed?

We’ve had great success collecting smaller items so far, including board games, sleeping bags, and kitchen tools. Games, in particular, have been the most popular with the community. Looking ahead, we hope to expand into health and wellness items such as weights, blood pressure monitors, and other fitness tools, as well as higher-end technology like speakers, portable hotspots, and projectors. We also

welcome contributions like seeds, fishing poles, and cookware; every item helps make the collection more useful and diverse.

What else should readers of the Katy Times know?

This is a community-based project that thrives on support in any form. If you have something sitting around your house that you no longer use, consider donating it to the collection. Every contribution helps us grow; a little goes a long way. Our vision is to expand across all 12 branches of the Fort Bend County Libraries system, creating a shared resource of diverse items for everyone in the community to enjoy.