Borrowing tools from neighbors has always been common practice, but now communities are stepping up efforts to make tools accessible to everyone through a tool lending library. Sustainable West Seattle opened its tool library in June 2010 and now have over 1,500 tools available for people to use, from ladders to lawn mowers, and extension cords to clamps. The tool library is such an awesome idea that even Popular Mechanics took notice.
Now, plans to start a Wallingford Tool Library are under way, thanks to Sustainable Wallingford. The group decided to start a tool library primarily to build community, though they also recognize the environmental benefits including zero waste. Sustainable Wallingford hopes to go beyond the traditional tools for gardening and home repair by offering items for plumbing, electrical, mechanical, woodworking, food preservation, party & meeting (tents, dishes, chairs), health aids, arts & crafts, musical instruments, brewing, culturally unique methods of working (ikebana, injera frypan), baking, knitting, sewing, bike repair, beekeeping, candle making, and more. You can read more about the group’s ideas for the tool library here.
Sustainable Wallingford is meeting at the Wallingford Community Senior Center at the Good Shepherd (4649 Sunnyside Avenue North, Basement Level) this Wednesday (2/29) from 7:00PM – 8:00PM to “map out how to make the Tool Library a reality,” according to Rick Turner, one of the library’s organizers. If you’d like to get involved in the early planning stages, come to the meeting on Wednesday. Give Rick a call at 206-450-5998 to let him know you’re coming, or just swing by to lend your voice.
We’ll keep you updated on the Wallingford Tool Library as we learn more.
1. location? security? locked?
2. who will oversee?
3. how to deal with checkouts?
4. returning?
5. if i tgets to a lot of items like tents, tables .. then larger space?
6. then more overseeing will be needed
7. consider the model of the Pea Patch gardening shed which holds tools used by many for the Pea Patch.
I think this is a great idea! I’ll be interested to hear how it develops!
Locoloco – Inventory, checkouts, membership, reminder emails, and more are the easy part thanks to http://localtools.org/
This service was developed alongside the West Seattle Tool Library and is being used by other tool libraries around the country now. Another organization spinning out of the West Seartle Toolibrary called “Share Starter” is developing a “starter kit” to help answer (or help figure out answers to) the other questions you raise.
Here at the Phinney Neighborhood Center we’ve had a tool library since 1988. Our focus is home repair and gardening tools, so it is interesting to see the ideas being considered by Sustainable Wallingford. In addition to tools, we also offer advice and contractor referrals, as well as classes on remodeling and sustainability topics and our annual Home Design & Remodel Fair. While we do ask that you join the PNA in order to borrow tools, the cost is modest and there are additional benefits to belonging. Membership has no geographic boundaries.
p.s. The link on my name above will take you to our tool library web page.
I was going to note the PNC tool library. It’s pretty cool that Wallingford is considering a wide variety of types of tools, for cooking and crafting in particular… Glad these ideas are spreading!
Guess I missed something. Sustainable Wallingford seems to be implementing an existing neighborhood tool library concept. The white paper’s Partnerships heading (http://bit.ly/wnLdJz) didn’t mention either W. Seattle’s or PNA’s tool libraries. Cannot these successful programs all be incorporated?
It makes sense to partner resources among these existing libraries. Perhaps these organizations would be open to establishing a common tool library membership program. A joint membership fee could be a nominal fee, over & above the cost of an individual tool library membership. The additional fee could then be accumulated to purchase more expensive items over time that can be pooled, benefiting all branch tool libraries.
After all, the tool libraries serve the same geographic area and have similar users. Seems an opportunity to minimize additional volunteer effort and cost.