How To Check Out A Telescope At Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA —Check out those telescopes! In Rancho Mirage's Library and Observatory, Coachella Valley residents can now check out telescopes —much like they would a book for seven days at a time.

Thanks to a grant by the Smaby Family Foundation, the Rancho Mirage Libaryar and Observatory has joined over 400 other libraries nationwide in the stargazing program. Rancho Mirage is the first library in Riverside County to offer portable, user-friendly telescopes to patrons through the Library Telescope Program.

The library is offering over 30 telescopes for checkout. Some will be allocated to local educators to share with their students, a library spokesperson said.

The Orion Starblast 4.5'' Astro Reflector tabletop telescopes are available at the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory, with a gear bag that includes a red light flashlight, a constellation guide, a simplified telescope user manual and spare batteries.

Each Orion telescope weighs 13-pounds.

Library patrons with valid library cards who are 18-years-old and older can agree to their loan policy. Once ready to check one out, the library clerk will give a brief overview of the telescope's components and demonstrate how to carry it correctly.

If you break it, you buy it.

Replacement costs for a telescope total $450, which includes items like the telescope, eyepiece, case/equipment bag, red flashlight, constellation guide and modification hardware.

Costs will be charged to the patron's account if items are damaged, lost, stolen or are not returned seven days after the seven-day check-out period.

For more information, or to place a hold on a telescopke, visit www.ranchomiragelibrary.org.