April Member Highlights: Cardington-Lincoln Public Library’s Bike Lending Program

In 2019, Cardington-Lincoln Public Library launched a bike lending program with a simple goal: help more people enjoy time outdoors. This year, thanks to a partnership with the Morrow County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the library is expanding that mission to better serve patrons with mobility needs. We spoke with library director Kelsey Wicker to learn more about how this accessible bike program came to life — and where it’s headed next.

Pedaling Toward Inclusion: A Q&A with Cardington-Lincoln Public Library

Photos courtesy of Cardington-Lincoln Public Library

Q: How did the library’s bike lending program get started?

A: We began offering standard bikes for checkout in 2019 through a partnership with CMM Mobility, a mobility advocacy group located in our area. When the Morrow County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DD) approached the library last year about adding accessible bikes to our collection, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to expand the program to better serve our community.

Q: How did the new partnership with the Morrow County Board of DD come about?

A: The Board of DD received a grant to provide mobility and accessibility upgrades throughout the county, and they approached us about a potential collaboration. They thought our bike program would be a fun and meaningful way to meet the needs of those with mobility limitations and helped us purchase two additional bicycles for our library lending program.

Q: What types of bikes are available for checkout?

A: In addition to five single-person standard bicycles, we now have two amazing adaptive bikes. One is a three-wheeled pedicab/rickshaw-style e-bike with a bench seat in the front that can accommodate one or two people, including children or adults with mobility challenges. The second is a three-wheeled tandem-style bike, where one person sits in a semi-recumbent seat up front and the second person pedals and steers from the back. These bikes are designed to make bike riding accessible for people who can’t ride independently and give them the chance to go for a ride.

Q: What does it mean to you and your library to offer inclusive recreation opportunities?

A: Although we’re a small library, we serve patrons with a wide variety of needs. We are so fortunate to have partners like the Board of DD. These partnerships allow us to offer things like these bikes that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive for us to provide but create access to opportunities for recreation and connection.

On a personal note, I drove a pedicab in downtown Columbus as a part-time job in college. The sheer delight of people being driven down the street, with the wind blowing in their hair and giggling uncontrollably, is something I think everyone should get to experience. Even a short ride around a parking lot can be transformative when someone hasn’t had that chance before.

Q: What advice do you have for other libraries interested in partnerships like this?

A: Be open to collaboration but also realistic about what your library can support. A partnership or free gift can quickly become a burden if your library doesn’t have the capacity to fully incorporate it into its regular functions.

A critical part of us being able to accept the new accessible bikes was having appropriate storage for them. The wheelbases of the new bikes are too big to fit through any of our doors, so another part of the donation from the Board was a secure shed that sits in our parking lot to house the bikes. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need to make something successful.

Q: Are there plans to expand the bike program or pursue other partnerships?

A: What Morrow County really needs (and what would allow our program to truly blossom) are some dedicated bike trails. Many people, understandably, don’t feel comfortable riding on roads, but a bike trail is a safe way for the whole family to get out and ride together. I’m open to partnering with anyone who will help advocate for creating bike trails and safer roads.

Q: Anything else you’d like people to know?

A: We’re hoping to kick-off the 2025 bike lending season at the end of April (if the weather cooperates!) and plan to host a community ride this summer. If other libraries have nearby trails or bikeable roads, I’d encourage them to explore bike lending…or even just bike-themed events. Even if you don’t offer bikes for checkout, there are a lot of folks who might join you for a program related to bikes or a community ride.

– Submitted by Kelsey Wicker, Director at Cardington-Lincoln Public Library  

Additional Member Updates –

• Registration is open for OhioNet MakerFest! This in-person summit for library makers and makerspaces, hosted at the State Library of Ohio on June 18, 2025, will explore the ways libraries of all types and sizes can establish, maintain, and enhance making programs or makerspaces.
• Coming up soon: Conversations Worth Having (In-Person Workshop). Join us at OhioNet on May 14 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. for Conversations Worth Having for Library Employees (at any level). Attendees will learn and practice how to spark meaningful connections, ignite creativity, and empower library employees at all levels to make a difference.
• Something’s brewing…new event series Coffee with Katy starts April 30. Connect with fellow members and OhioNet Executive Director & CEO Katy Mathuews in this new monthly drop-in series designed for conversation, community, and connection.

We love hearing from our members! Share news or highlight a recent project from your library in OhioNet’s monthly member highlights email – contact communications manager Jillian Tuttle at [email protected] for more information.