Montrealers who want to borrow a telescope from one of the two city libraries will have to be patient, as there are already almost 80 people on the waiting list.
“There’s a waiting list of about forty people,” a staffer at the Saint-Henri library in the southwest said Thursday in response to a citizen asking to borrow a telescope.
The same applies to the Marie Uguay Library, which has also been offering this service since June 11th. According to our information, about forty people would also be waiting for a rental.
Interest in the six Orion StarBlast 4.5 telescopes was palpable when this concept, never before offered in Montreal, was announced.
On social networks, several people hoped to observe the Perseid shooting stars between July 17 and August 24.
However, with an approved loan period of three weeks per telescope, it could be difficult to get hold of some in the summer for any Montrealers who are interested.
At this time, the Sud-Ouest district has not indicated if it plans to make more telescopes available due to their popularity.
For those who still want to try their luck, it is possible to purchase a telescope if you are over 18 and have a Montreal library card.
The scope of delivery of the telescope includes an instruction manual, a world map, an introductory book on astronomy and a map of the moon.