A tool library is an example of a library of things. Tool libraries allow patrons to check out or borrow tools, equipment and "how-to" instructional materials, functioning either as a rental shop, with a charge for borrowing the tools, or more commonly free of charge as a form of community sharing. A tool library performs the following main tasks: *Lending: all kinds of tools for use in at-home projects, residential maintenance and renovation projects, community improvement events, and weather event response. *Advocacy: for the complete and timely return of all borrowed tools, to guarantee the long-term sustainability of available inventory. Staff also seeks compensation for lost tools and tools returned late. *Maintenance: performing

routine maintenance The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installat ...

and repairs on all equipment to ensure good condition and to extend the lifespan of the inventory. This function is typically performed by volunteers and community service workers. *Education: Some tool libraries also provide educational classes. Vancouver Tool Library and Community Access Center (VTLCAC) in

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver ( ) is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, located in Clark County, Washington, Clark County. Founded in 1825 and incorporated in 1857, Vancouver had a population of 190, ...

offers individual project support and classes on

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...

and basic car maintenance. *Sustainable Reuse Advocacy: tool libraries encourage shared access over individual ownership of tools. Tool libraries may host or support a

repair café Repair Café is an organisation with venues set up to provide people with a place to work on repairing objects of everyday life, such as electronics, mechanical devices, computers, bicycles, and clothing. Repair Cafés are typically held at commu ...

or education event to teach maintenance skills and extend the useful life of tool inventory.

History

The first known tool lending library was started by the Gross Pointe Rotary Club in Gross Pointe, Michigan in 1943. In the late 70s and early 80s, what could be considered the first generation of tool lending libraries got their start. In 1976 a tool lending library was started in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

; originally run by the city, the tool library is now operated by ModCon Living, a non-profit organization that works to preserve and revitalize homes and communities in central Ohio. The ModCon Living Tool Library makes available over 4,500 tools free of charge to both individuals and non-profit organizations. The Phinney Tool Library was started at the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) in north central Seattle in 1978, and the Berkeley Tool Library was started in 1979 in Berkeley, California. Many of these libraries were started with community block grants. A variation of the tool lending library model began in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

in 1992. At the Atlanta Community ToolBank (now

ToolBank USA ToolBank USA is a not-for-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia with a mission to strengthen local communities through the establishment of ToolBank affiliates across the United States and the provision of infrastructure to support affi ...

), the tools are reserved for use only by nonprofits and other community-based organizations who are performing volunteer and facility maintenance projects. The ToolBank tool inventory is not available to individuals. In 2009, the community of West Seattle in Washington started the West Seattle Tool Library, which provides a wide variety of tools and resources for individuals and organizations while specifically encouraging sustainable urban living. In 2011, ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...

'' recognized "Building a Local Tool Library" as one of its top ten ways to change the world, while highlighting the West Seattle Tool Library. In response to that recognition, a project called "Share Starter" was created that maps tool libraries worldwide and offers a free "Tool Library Starter Kit" to any community interested in starting a lending library of their own. The kit includes start up guidelines, frequently asked questions, and sample documents. Additionally, the Center for a New American Dream published a

webinar Web conferencing is used as an umbrella term for various types of online conference, conferencing and collaborative services including webinars (web seminars), webcasts, and web meetings. Sometimes it may be used also in the more narrow sense of ...

which highlighted insights from a handful of tool libraries on how to get started.

Spread

Given their increasing popularity and proven history of success, tool libraries and tool banks are now playing a role in the sharing economy and can be found in many local

public libraries ''Public Libraries'' is the official publication of the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is devoted exclusively to public libraries. The print edition is published six times a year and i ...

and makerspaces. Software platforms such as MyTurn have been developed for managing tool and other types of lending libraries . Tool libraries also exist outside of the United States, with several in the UK, for example in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

and

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, and in Norway. There also exist

housing cooperative A housing cooperative, or housing co-op, is a legal entity which owns real estate consisting of one or more residential buildings. The entity is usually a cooperative or a corporation and constitutes a form of housing tenure. Typically hou ...

s with shared workshops, for example Kampen borettslag in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Equipment and facilities

Shared workspace

If a tool library chooses to host a shared workspace, some basic equipment can for example include worklighting, a

workbench A workbench is a sturdy table at which manual work is done. They range from simple flat surfaces to very complex designs that may be considered tools in themselves. Workbenches vary in size from tiny jewellers benches to the huge benches used by ...

with

vise A vise or vice (British English) is a mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable, threaded in and out by a screw and lever. The jaws are ofte ...

s, a woodworking bench,

bicycle stand The term bicycle tools typically refers to specialty tools used on bicycles, as opposed to general purpose mechanical tools. such as spanners and hex wrenches. Various bicycle tools have evolved over the years into specialized tools for working on ...

, bicycle pump,

fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

s, a

vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum, is a device that uses suction, and often agitation, in order to remove dirt and other debris from carpets, hard floors, and other surfaces. The dirt is collected into a dust bag or a plastic bin. ...

, dustpans,

broom A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...

s and a

trash can A waste container, also known as a dustbin, rubbish bin, trash can, garbage can, wastepaper basket, and wastebasket, among other names, is a type of container intended to store waste that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "r ...

Tools

The tool inventory is the most essential element of a tool library. Tools may be stored on shelves for members to access directly or behind a service counter for librarian access only. Tools must be numbered for cataloging, which is often done with lending software. What kind of tools a tool library should have varies with the community's needs. *Durable tools that are useful for many situations as well as safety equipment are important. *Specialized tools that are too expensive for many members to purchase individually or may only be used once or twice in a household are ideal for community lending. For example, a flooring installation kit may only be used once by a homeowner, but it can be reused by many different homeowners with shared access. Many tool libraries accept donations of well-maintained tools to support their inventory. Inspection and testing is required to verify the functionality and safety of donated tools.

References

External links

Map of tool libraries

ShareStarter - website of the Lending Library Alliance
{{Libraries and library science Tool-lending

Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...

Public commons Sharing economy DIY culture