Ottawa Tool Library (OTL) is a not for profit tool lending

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

system based in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. Tool libraries lend specialized tools for both experienced and inexperienced community members who are interested in

home repair Home repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems. Many types of repairs are "do it yourself" (DIY) projects, while others may be so complicated, time-consuming ...

, maintenance, building projects, community projects,

gardening Gardening is the process of growing plants for their vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and appearances within a designated space. Gardens fulfill a wide assortment of purposes, notably the production of Aesthetics, aesthetically pleasing area ...

and

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...

as well as

cooking Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or Food safety, safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from ...

. The OTL offers annual, short-term, group and gift memberships.

History

The Ottawa Tool Library (OTL) is a project of The Society for Social Ingenuity (SSI), a registered Canadian non-profit organization based in Ottawa. The OTL was cofounded by Bettina Vollmerhausen and Frederic Sune. The goal is to put tools in the hands of people who want them to do their projects. The OTL opened at 250 City Centre, in 2014, and moved to 877A Boyed Ave. in 2021.

Governance

The OTL is governed by a Board which is responsible for the strategic planning, financial stability, and oversight of staff and volunteers.

Services

Collections

The tool library adapted Share Starter's free "Tool Library Starter Kit" which includes start up guidelines, frequently asked questions, and sample documents. The library uses "Local Tools" from "myTurn.com, PBC", a web-based inventory management system to track loans to Tool Library members and to automatically display tool availability online. The library has over 2,000 specialized tools to lend to members with all skill levels welcomed. The inventory of equipment includes automotive, bicycle, carpentry and woodworking, electrical and soldering, home maintenance, metalworking, plumbing, re-modelling, electronics,

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

kitchen A kitchen is a room (architecture), room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a Kitchen stove, stove, a sink ...

hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...

, air and

power tools A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air ...

, although no gas-powered tools. The OTL is seeking cash donations as well as donations of hand tools, power tools, garden tools and kitchen tools.

Training

The Ottawa Tool Library offers workshops open both to Tool Library members and the public on tool related skills and projects. For example, in the Intro to Power Tools workshop, participants build a planter box; and similarly in other hands-on workshops.

Mission

Tool library

The Tool library performs the following main tasks: *Tool Lending: to members for use in personal projects, community improvement events, and special events. *Tool 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. *Tool 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. *

Location

* Ottawa Tool Library is located at 877A Boyd Ave., Ottawa. Tool donations can be borrowed from this location, and volunteers are welcomed to help keep this community resource going in Ottawa. Volunteer opportunities include: assisting members, providing tool and equipment knowledge, instructing workshops and tool maintenance.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ottawa Tool Library 2014 establishments in Ontario Non-profit organizations based in Ottawa Tool libraries Libraries in Ottawa