Toledo Astronomical Association            
 We Give you the Universe!		  
 
     

                                       

 

 
 
   
 

Library Telescope Program


In the early 2000's the lending of telescopes by libraries began to emerge, most prominently by the efforts of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society (nhastro.com). By 2015 their program has placed approx 100 telescopes at libraries across New Hampshire for lending to the general, inexperienced, public. Libraries in Maine, Michigan, Missouri and California are now running a lending program.

In early 2016, the Toledo Astronomical Assn joined that movement through the purchase of four beginner style telescopes.  The TAA effort is initially funded by the sale of a club asset, namely the Fecker telescope. These beginner telescopes will be donated, initially two each, to the the Toledo-Lucas County Library and Way Library (Perrysburg). We anticipate being able to purchase and donate more telescopes in the future as well as accept donations from our members and the general public specifically for telescope purchases and matching purchases made by the recipient libraries or their patrons as well.  Persons interested in purchasing a telescope for donation to a library may do so by using a PayPal link on our Donations page. Donors names will be added to a label on the telescope. 

In order to make these telescopes easier for novices to use and to keep them more reliable, several small modification are made to each scope. TAA will follow the NHAS program, in fact, we will copy their program precisely as they invite other organizations to do. The telescope used is an Orion 4.5" Star Blast telescope.  It is a table-top model Dobsonian with a 1.25" focuser. The modifications include; replacing the standard eyepieces with a single zoom eyepiece, replacing the cell adjusting knobs with bolts, and adding labels containing safety and usage information.  A constellation guide book and a customized instruction book will be added to the scopes.  TAA members will have opportunities to participate in the prep work for these scopes. TAA members will assist the libraries with ongoing technical support.

Instructional Videos from New Hampshire Astronomical Society.



>





                                       Stock Orion 4.5" Star Blast                                                               Modified for lending use
                                                                                                
                                       Image is property of the Orion                                                                    Image "stolen" from NHAS web site
                                        Telescope and Binocular Co.

TAA gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Orion Telescope and Binocular Co (telescope.com) for their help with this program and the New Hampshire Astronomical Society for allowing us to copy and use their LTP materials.

For more information about the TAA LTP program please contact the email address listed on our contact page (link is above).