Inside the Library of Things<\/p>\n
There are plenty of paper-and-ink books at Sacramento\u2019s 28 library locations and mountains of digital materials online.<\/p>\n
But the library was an early trailblazer in building what is known as a<\/a> \u201cLibrary of Things.\u201d With a library card, people can borrow sewing machines, lawn-care tools, musical instruments and more.<\/p>\n According to Christy Aguirre, collection management supervisor for the Sacramento Public Library, Nichelini \u201cdreamed about introducing a cake pan library. For years, she talked about it.\u201d<\/p>\n To Aguirre, libraries that offered more than books is a no-brainer. \u201cJust like books, you don\u2019t necessarily need to own all the items you may need\u201d in your day-to-day life, she said.<\/p>\n Offering cake pans and other cooking supplies, she said, promotes \u201caccessibility and sustainability,\u201d while helping community members access objects that might otherwise be cost-prohibitive.<\/p>\n The Cake Pan Library, by the numbers<\/p>\n The Cake Pan Library is viewable online<\/a>, and patrons can request pans to be delivered to their local branch library. But for those who want to browse pans in person, that\u2019s possible too.<\/p>\n Physical pan collections can be seen at Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library and the Rio Linda Library. At Pocket-Greenhaven, dozens of pans hang in sturdy plastic bags surrounded by shelves of glossy cookbooks.<\/p>\n There are over 200 pans currently in the library system, up from the initial collection of 74, said Aguirre. There\u2019s a dazzling variety available, from madeleine pans to cartoon character pans to massive stacks of wedding cake pans, both round and square.<\/p>\n Beyond metal cake pans, there are also bundles of cookie cutters and an array of colorful silicone pans as well. Each pan comes with a laminated sheet of guidelines and baking tips. (For example, patrons are encouraged to wash the pans before and after use, and to watch out for burns.)<\/p>\n Some larger, more unusual pans come with laminated pages of instructions that were included in their original packaging. Each pan, in its sturdy plastic carrying bag, also comes bundled with one of Nichelini\u2019s favorite cake recipes.<\/p>\n The Cake Pan Library, said Aguirre, has been increasingly popular with library patrons since it launched in 2022. From September 2025 to September 2026, pans have been checked out 1,602 times. The most popular time for the collection, she said, is \u201cbaking season\u201d \u2014 the fall and winter months.<\/p>\n Just like books, cake pans can be checked out for three weeks.<\/p>\n The Sacramento Public Library, said Aguirre, is not currently accepting donations of more pans to the collection. \u201cThere are guidelines that we have,\u201d she explained, as well as a list of requested pans from patrons that take precedence.<\/p>\n Certain pans, she added, are \u201cwildly popular.\u201d Chief among them are the madeleine pans. \u201cMy theory is that Costco prices of madeleines have risen astronomically,\u201d she joked. The dinosaur cake pan also sees a lot of use. Both types of pan, of course, are not the type of kitchen tool most people would need to have around for daily use, making them perfect borrowable items.<\/p>\n Leaving a legacy<\/p>\n Nichelini is thrilled to know that her namesake cake pan collection has proven to be a hit. \u201cI\u2019m glad people have embraced it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n According to Nichelini, she originally had heard about cake-pan collections at libraries in the Midwest, and remembered thinking that it was a good idea. \u201cYou want to make a special cake, you don\u2019t want to buy special pans,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She has fond memories of her retirement party in 2020, and first seeing what her colleagues had brought, the roots of what would become the Shari Nichelini Cake Pan Library.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were so many I didn’t even know existed,\u201d she said. \u201cThe coolest were the beautiful Bundt pans.\u201d<\/p>\n For bakers aspiring to use those fantastical Bundt pans in the collection, shaped like everything from haunted houses to roses, Nichelini offered some advice for making sure they come out in one piece.<\/p>\n Before pouring in the cake batter, \u201cyou gotta use a spray that has flour in it,\u201d she advised. \u201cSpray it really heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published October 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n![\"Cake](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/SAC_7373_LibraryCake_HA_261020.JPG\" "\\"SAC_7373_LibraryCake_HA_261020.JPG\\"")
Cake pans available for checkout from the Sacramento Public Library. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com <\/p>\n
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