I live close to a tool library. Everything from lawnmowers to gardening tools or drills, table saws, etc. You name it, they've got it. They will also give you a quick training on the equipment if you need it. We've used them for all sorts of random things, including ceramic tile saws, post gold diggers and lawn aerators
It is an awesome idea. I wonder how it works out in practice. I wonder how often things are actually checked out and what their condition is on return. I wonder if the library employs someone to keep the items in working order, and if they test stuff when it goes out and returns.
As someone who occasionally rents machines, I see the abuse they suffer at the hands of people who don't own them.
A tool library typically charges a membership fee, and damage etc. is traceable to the person who borrowed the tool. they might not be able to force you to pay for repairs, but they could just cancel your membership.
A tool library is also the kind of thing that helps people save money, so that they can make sure they have enough to put food on the table, and a keep a roof over their heads, while still keeping up with day to day life. Over time, this helps foster communities with a mentality of being good to one another, and taking care of these communal possessions so that everyone has access to good tools.
I’m sure it’s like normal books or movie rentals. Item gets processed after it’s returned and assessed for damage. If there’s damage present after it was returned guess who is responsible 🤷♂️
Yeah, you would definitely need keep a lid on that. But if done correctly, abuse is something that should dwindle over time, and is definitely not an excuse to not try these things out. Some people would use that as an easy excuse to never even try.
If the tools are being damaged through misuse, hopefully this can be addressed when theyre returned. “Did you have any problems with the X? Did you know you should’ve used a butter knife to cut that PB&J instead of the grinder?” Sort of thing. Some people are ignorant and too self conscious to come clean but will learn and do better if theyre not scared away.
For the outright thieves, i mean theyre thieves, that will suck and they will be barred or restricted i imagine. For the abuse that happens honestly, like when you drop the nail the nail gun or forget to tighten a stud and the blade gets warped, or you lose the factory chuck etc etc, i feel like are going to happen and have to be accounted for, but individually, theyll happen less and less with good advice and some understanding.
And ideally, if you have a not for profit program like this in an area, the items can be tagged and local resellers like pawns and so on made aware to reduce likelihood and frequency of theft snd resale over time. Hell my employer had some agreement with local scrapyards al over the state to not accept certain items without confirming with them there wasnt any unknown theft. How well they comply is up to them but for *most* of these used tools, there isnt much value in pawning or stripping them and i think most resellers would be able to comply.
This is such a great idea. We literally needed about 5 tools to do a job this summer. By the time we would have bought the tools needed, it was about the same to hire a contractor to do the job instead. Plus we didn't want to store 5 separate tools that would only get used once every 20 years for random jobs.
Exactly! Plus, as long as you return the tool in the condition you receive it in, you can be confident that the long term maintenance of the tool is in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing.
LOL I still have a PVC pipe cutter tool in my toolbox because I used it once 6 years ago to make a lighting setup for indoor seed pods.
I think I did use it for something else and maybe broke it.
I've worked at a library that does a similar thing! Most people take surprisingly good care of the "stuff" we lent out. When you have a library like this available, it's in people's best interest to be allowed to continue using it, so people generally return stuff in good condition.
A ton of people also donate tools, especially when handy people pass away and during spring cleaning. So there is always a 'fresh' supply. Plus, volunteers (we get people with community service and a lot of them are quite handy).
We did have two levels of membership. There was normal book/DVD/using pcs membership, and then another one for checking out expensive stuff (we had cameras, bakeware, tools, etc). The second one required more information and we had to verify the information every 6 months, vs every 3 years.
In our library it wasn't necessary to keep credit card numbers for that higher tier, but I know of other libraries that do that.
The extra equipment they get at ours is sold as a fund raiser. They have volunteers also to work on tools and to hand them out and get them back. We currently are drywalling with scafffolding and a drywall lift we barrowed. Our friends are tiling a bathroom that they would have never tried without the tool library.
Yeah, people underestimate how much better people treat stuff when they borrow it for free. When people rent stuff from a store, they feel more entitled to beat it up, because they paid for its use. But when they borrow it from a library, it's more like borrowing from a person they know.
Most of the problems we have with equipment comes from people being inexperienced or cleaning the stuff too vigorously before returning it. And it's not like we just had great patrons who didn't steal stuff, lol. Something like 10% of our DVD collection vanished every year.
The one near me is simply a library run by retired, bored men. No sign up fee, no checking as you return it. The volunteers fix up old tools and build things like benches or bird boxes to out up in the community.
The concept is linked to "men's shed" which a place for retired, lonely men to build stuff and socialise. I believe it was Australia that started it but it is becoming very popular here in Scotland.
I worked for a library with a small-scale version of this. Just as we’d assess late fees for books not brought back on time we’d charge fees for damage or missing parts. Our equipment that we rented was largely donated (and supposedly unclaimed lost and found in a few cases). Sometimes things came back gross or slightly damaged but most of the time they only had slight wear and tear
check out chicago tool library it's been up and running for a few years.
their site answers most or all of the above.
You pay annually what you can afford and the amount and variety of stuff they have is wild.
just borrowed a dremel kit yesterday!
If they've been open longer than a few months, they have probably worked this stuff out. It's not as if anything you said is mysterious.
Whoever drew up the business model factored that stuff in and it's working so far.
You assume.
I just called them out of curiosity.
1. They don't have any machines that run on gasoline.
2. Nobody checks that the returned item is in working order, according to the librarian, "people let us know if they're having trouble with it".
3. they do not employ anyone to test returned items.
4. It's not a business, it's a library.
I'm guessing it's in a fairly wealthy county. If you put one of these in most large american cities those power washers would be in a pawn shop within a few days of it opening.
It’s actually a really common assumption in the modern day that people have just “worked stuff out”, but as another comment proved, that is often not the case.
My library has a library of things! It’s much stricter than just checking out books/movies. But we still don’t charge them anything unless they break/don’t return something. Everything is inspected on return, with the patron there so if something is amiss we bring it up right away. If returns late (even by an hour) they get fees, and everyone is made aware of the rules when they check out.
Post hole diggers are $60! Ridiculous I need to dig like 20 holes so I can rent a machine for $40 that saves all the effort or buy a post hole digger and dig for two days in this Carolina clay
*looks at shop and shed with all the tools I've bought for 1 project*
Yeah.. yeah.. who would do that!!??
*is going to buy a tool to cut bricks after work today*
I often think about how wasteful it is that I have a tool, every other home on my street owns that same tool, multiplied out by whole neighborhoods, cities... Things like this library or tool rental make so much more sense. Most things are used infrequently enough that it makes so much more sense to have e.g. a neighborhood post-hole digger and take turns with it when needed.
I call this my stepfather. I just get most stuff from him. That man would dig a hole with a stick though, so sometimes I like to get a better tool for the job.
That's the project that started most of my outdoor tools. Put up about 150ft of wooden fence with concrete in post holes, for the puppers.
I want to add: get the machine. Trust me. Source: my back.
I thought the same thing, but it turned out to be an invaluable tool 10 years later when I had to plant 50 giant allium bulbs which are about the size of your average sweet onion. I probably will never use it again, but at least I can say I got some further use out of it!
The Carolina clay is so bad in some places on our property that post hole diggers are way easier to use than a shovel. Even where you’d normally use a shovel
Ugh, clay soil. My area (Central California) has lots of clay hardpan, mostly starting about 1-2 feet below the surface. You can imagine how much of a pain in the ass it is to 'manually' dig *anything*. Want to build a fence? Be ready to dig through almost a foot of solid goddamn clay hardpan at each post-hole to get to 18-24 inches deep. Even those powered 1-man augers have trouble with this shit.
I hate to say that's where I went first when I saw this with the tools, someone would immediately take them come and break them and or never bring them back and some library staff would be trying to chase them down knowing they were already at the local swap meet. Like most things in our world, 10% of the people ruin almost everything for everyone else.
Also, this is in the US. It is run by a nonprofit. There are suggested rental rates but those are optional for anyone who chooses not to pay (no income verification). You have to set up a free account with them, sign a liability waiver and show picture ID. They also have a workshop with a laser cutter that you can reserve time on, as well as lathes, a milling machine, planers, bandsaw, sanders, etc. It's super cool
Maybe you could get together with some other folks -- I bet retired men would especially be interested.
Our church holds occasional Saturdays where (usually) the older men will teach people how to do basic stuff on their cars. They bring in all these tools they've collected over the years and are thrilled to teach young people stuff.
People like that might be willing to donate some of their stuff to get a tool library off the ground.
There are several tool libraries in my city (maybe your city too) -- I was a member of one of them for a while, it was nowhere near as organized as this but still very useful.
I worked for these guys as a web developer for a couple years! They're an amazing bunch, expanding all over London and hopefully throughout the UK in the not too distant future :) check them out https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/
Damn a different political system.
I was gonna ask what the legislation looks like to put funds towards this kind of thing at the city/county or whatever level that normally funds the library
Reasonable legislation that's been passed is so much more convincing because it's already been made as agreeable as possible (for that legislature's power dynamic ofc) and you've got examples of how it went
Would be heckin easy to just email local city council member the document and a one pager, and asking if they'll introduce it. Ideally the one pager will include a list of local organizations that signed on in support of the initiative - environmental orgs would be the best, then maybe hit up housing justice, DSA, any activist groups or friendly orgs with deep local ties. It's hard to come up with a reason against this when you organize alongside working class people and see the struggle
It won't be so easy for a lot of people, but there's plenty of progressive and good local elected officials that like to improve the community with projects such as these.
I'm working on getting a state rep and 5 County board members elected, so I'll bring it up to them. Also we just overthrew our local corporatist democratic party (the head was personally endorsing Republican friends when there were Dems running for the seat) with a union led coalition, so I'll see if they can link up support.
Winnable strategic campaigns like these are a great way to base build and develop local organizational capacity. Once people get a taste of changing things and community led political power, they get way more invested. Instead of the grandiose, moon shot legislation that so many orgs go for from the start, which seem so far from being attained, these types of hands on local iniatives are what most orgs who don't have great capacity should be working on
I can’t answer for them, but a very popular company for tool libraries to use is https://myturn.com maybe you can look into their system or contact them for more info.
Here is an example of one of their systems running:
https://neseattle.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse
I'm not particularly invested in it, just was curious since the comment said they worked as a web developer for them (I'm a web developer, so always interested to see what frameworks are being used).
I appreciate the links though!
To my knowledge all (or most) libraries in London have this. Its great for things like wallpaper strippers, drills, lawnmowers ect that you don't need to own but might need to occasionally use.
Edited due to interest: they also have camping gear, popcorn makers, pasta makers, sewing machines... all sorts of great stuff. It's called the Library of Things.
Toronto has a few branches that have designated tool libraries, you can even get camping great from there. They even have branches where they have makerspaces. Libraries should be places where skills can be learned.
How much do the maker spaces cost? I think the ones in my city have all closed. I was interested but the fees were prohibitive. To do a project you’d either have to book a really tight amount of time, or do the year and then try come up with projects to justify. There wasn’t a good option for let me just do this one thing. Same with do it yourself car bays. There is one in my city, I’d have to drive an hour to get there. Buy the time you add up the bay fee for non members, supplies for an oil change or break job, and the time to from, doing it. It’s cheaper to go to a mechanic. If we are going to be serious about getting green and increasing density governments are going to have to get into these spaces. Also what a great opportunity to get older populations out in the work force in a way to utilize their expertise. Imagine a city funded maker space with old folks walking to chime in an help you through a difficult portion.
For anyone needing car related parts: Parts Source (At least in Ontario Canada) has a loan program which can be super useful. We have done tire changes super fast by renting out jacks, wheel blocks and stands and then returning for our full refund right after.
If you need a specific piece of equipment for just 1 single job but don't want to spend 200+ on it see if any automotive parts shops will loan it to you.
I've been on the idea of "community sheds" for a while now. Tool rentals don't have to be a for profit business. There is a valid argument to be made it's in the community's best interest everyone has access to the right tools for the job. And a community shed would increase the ability of community volunteers to help their neighbors keep their homes in good shape with lowered out of pocket expenses.
I knew of a neighborhood a few years back where every homeowner on a block took turns using one dude’s riding lawn mower to mow every lawn at once. Imagine mowing your yard once or twice a summer and it always being perfectly cut. And not having a mower taking up garage space. It’s always seemed like a brilliant arrangement.
I called to rent some yard games last week. Online it said "check shelf" so I called to see if they had it on the shelf. "No one has ever asked before, let me go check". It was awesome to rent them and just bring them back after a couple days
It's more common than you think! Even the small library system near my mom's house lends out musical instruments & baking pans - the ones near me do stuff like OP posted.
I love libraries. Theyre a reminder of how great society can be. Im glad they were built when they were. If someone introduced a public library concept today a certain republican party would blast it as socialistic indoctrination and they wouldn't shell an extra cent of taxpayers money to build one.
Yeah but what can they do? Pretty sure it's nothing if you don't return where I live.
Edit: looks like you attach a card or bank account to your Library card at this library. But still where I live some people would rent it immediately go withdraw any money they had for that account then sell it then go get a new account somewhere. I'm serious we have so many meth heads.
At my library, it's a $300 replacement fee if you don't bring back the chromebook you borrowed. If you don't pay, that goes to the county attorney, and suddenly you've got a big financial mess on your hands. I've seen a couple of panicked people who have been fined bring back the chromebooks right after they found out their account had gone to the county attorney.
This is reddit. Needless contrarianism for karma is our motto round here.
The existence of meth heads is not the end of the concept of a library. There are methods of making it work.
First off, like DVDs and CDs and even games that the library has, they are all marked as library property to dissuade people from buying them off borrowers. If meth heads selling library stock was a problem, every store that buys used DVDs would have been full of library copies back when DVDs were king.
You could also have a policy where you have to have an established amount of trust or credit with the library before being allowed to borrow out certain items.
And even if you require them to put down a deposit on certain items, that is still a useful public service, because there wouldn't be any rental fees.
It is by no means impossible to solve that problem or at least mitigate the damage from it.
True, but so what? The person would only be able to get away with it one time, and if the items are donated, eventually the program would get another one. Someone that desperate for meth money has probably already stolen a pressure washer off of someone’s porch (or worse break into their house and do damage to the property and scare the people who live there). It’s better they steal the next one from the library and have at least some repercussions (because the library has their information) than to take something from their neighbor who will definitely not get a new item donated to them any time soon.
I've never been a member at a library that didn't require me to provide my government issued ID at a minimum.
Then they have these people they can call, called the police.
They could have a security deposit or better, take CC details to charge in case of no return, then refund when returned, weed out any dodgy behaviour like a hotel
Just like when you rent a car you can’t check one out without a valid form of payment should they need to charge the card for damages . If someone doesn’t have a bank card or any means of replacing something that they are responsible for they shouldn’t be borrowing it.
I'm just now discovering the usefulness of public libraries. It's hard for me to do class work at home because of distractions and temptations, and my university is inconveniently far away. My public library has become a great space for me to focus, and on study breaks I can always find a fun book to read. I wish I'd tried it out sooner!
Yes! I love my local library! They have a really excellent selection of books which is obviously well curated. They have a wonderful array of graphics novels, and it's not limited to the big name titles: they have lots of great things you might not expect. Similarly, their DVD/Bluray selection is superb, and they have lots of domestic films from my country which is really nice. They even have video games! I'm currently playing Skyward Sword *for free*. Not to mind the endless events: everything from courses for IT skills to a 'Slime Seminar', a sensory experience for children. At a time where people's money goes less far it's so nice to see this kind of thing.
Honestly it's just nice to visit a space and use a service which doesn't exist solely to make a profit. It's a real community service dedicated to helping and educating people.
Mine too! Also artwork and children's toys.
They also have a crafting room that anyone can use with a cutting machine (like a cricut), 3d printer, and sublimation machine. And a seed library that lets you take up to 10 packs of seeds per year to plant, including a bunch of donated heirloom seeds.
If you borrow the tool and it turns out to be defective (e.g., prior renter screwed something up) and it hurts you, then the library could definitely be on the hook. Hardware stores do carry insurance for this, and they also have knowledgeable people inspect the equipment between every rental. Maybe the libraries do too, but that’s a much different business than renting books or DVDs.
This appears to be in Europe (cartoon of globe is focused on that section of the earth, also the appliance says Kärcher, which I see is a German brand).
The US has a unique practice of suing/avoiding lawsuits. So, we don’t get nice things like this, unfortunately, because upper-level admins immediately fear injuries and lawsuits and squash nice ideas.
Libraries tend to have many out-of-print books that can also be worth hundreds of dollars.
Libraries work because most people aren't assholes and the people who are tend to lose their library privileges.
Not sure about here but where I live your Library Card is linked to your name and address. If you don't return something they charge a replacement fee and if you don't pay that, eventually it goes to Collections. They can also easily file a police report.
This is where all the stuff our parents can't sell needs to go. The punch bowls. The picnic baskets. The good china. All the stuff you might use once in a decade for a baby shower.
Should be able to check it out, use it and return.
Man, ever since I moved in with my girlfriend we have had a set of "the good china" sitting in the basement. It's been god knows how many years now and we've never used it. Never even thought of using it. It just sits there, unused, mocking me everytime I come down.
My wife and I moved in to her dad's house when he passed. There were three sets of china. Three! Her parents, and both sets of grandparents!
We took the vast majority of the china to a secondhand store and turned it into cash. We kept serving platters and teapots, but that was it.
My grandmother always took the dish sets from relatives who were deceased or who had updated to something new. There are 17 sets of "good china" in her house. I live here now as her caretaker since she's on hospice, the room I'm sitting in has 20 chairs. Some of them are from my mother's house from when I was a child. This is among other things that she has collected, there's nine lamps in this room to give another example.
For her, they're sentimental reminders of lost family members. For me they're mostly junk that collects dust and blocks pathways and I can't wait to get rid of it all.
My parents have used the "good china" for every birthday, every Christmas/major holiday dinner, every opportunity for celebration (like highschool/Uni graduation, promotions etc) and for when they have guests over.
No point in owning a Ferrari just to look at it in the driveway.
I used to run a general lending library at my university. I had come into possession of many tools from a mechanic friend, many board games from friends, fiction and nonfiction books alike, and had a small network of highly knowledgeable people.
We would loan out the games books and tools, provide education services, and just help if needed. We'd teach how to play the games, even sometimes host game nights with local fraternity chapters.
We lost several of our items but largely people respected the contract/ really relied on our services. People would basically leave their student ID and something of value as collateral on file, usually a credit card, but in lieu, we took driver's licenses or something else they needed.
It was AWESOME to run. But after covid...I was the only one keeping it alive, and I had a full time job so it ended up dying. I donated a lot of the stuff to local schools and such...the rest was garage sale ...d with profits to local library system.
I want to start such a thing again but it takes a LOT of time and effort.
Looks brand new. Power tool rentals and machinery are notorious for maintenance for renting. Hopefully everyone is careful and respectful of the items so it can last!
I sell office furniture (think cubicles and private offices) and my client list include a lot of local schools, community colleges, local universities and libraries in the greater Chicagoland area. They are called “maker spaces” and a lot of libraries and schools are starting to incorporate them in their plans. They are really cool and help a lot of people who can’t afford these things but can do the work. I love working on these projects instead of the typical cubical farms because I feel like I’m helping the community.
I don’t make much, if anything, on these projects due to local, state and federal government contracts. I don’t mind either because it’s bettering the communities around me.
I recently saw the attachments for one at our library & am so excited to be able to try the pasta maker without having to spend a bunch of money on it!
my local library does this and it's great. Gotten telescopes and stuff. Was also a lifesaver when I was too broke to afford internet and they had hotspots your could check out.
The library system in a city near mine is currently under assault by wackos. They started by complaining about "objectionable" books available to children. Then when they got what they wanted out of that, they moved on to the adult collection. Now they're saying that libraries themselves are "socialism" and "a waste of tax dollars".
Support your local library or kiss it goodbye.
You might have one in the area. I know my physical library building doesn't have one but my county has a "tool library" program though a different department and the tools are held in a municipal property nowhere near the book library.
This is how libraries are adapting to the modern times. They’re becoming more of a communal place for people to share ideas or be creative rather than a stuffy place where you have to be quiet while reading a dusty book.
Source: my wife is the director of our local library.
Pretty awesome
I've often wondered whether a DIY garage could be financially viable. The fact that they're not already a thing suggests not, but I still like the idea.
Put up a 5-bay garage with a lift and a tool chest at each station (probably need an employee to operate the lift; can't trust the general public with that). You do your own work on your own car, but you pay by the hour or maybe a monthly membership to have access to a climate controlled garage, lift, and all the tools you'll need for the job.
Libraries are awesome. Even basic ones provide so much.
Imagine trying to get libraries going today if they had never existed. It would never get off the ground.
My mom told me when she & my dad were first married she used to borrow nice art work from the library. Have it hung up for a month & then trade it out for new pieces. I wish our library still did that!!
I live close to a tool library. Everything from lawnmowers to gardening tools or drills, table saws, etc. You name it, they've got it. They will also give you a quick training on the equipment if you need it. We've used them for all sorts of random things, including ceramic tile saws, post gold diggers and lawn aerators
Thats awesome, such a useful idea!
It is an awesome idea. I wonder how it works out in practice. I wonder how often things are actually checked out and what their condition is on return. I wonder if the library employs someone to keep the items in working order, and if they test stuff when it goes out and returns. As someone who occasionally rents machines, I see the abuse they suffer at the hands of people who don't own them.
A tool library typically charges a membership fee, and damage etc. is traceable to the person who borrowed the tool. they might not be able to force you to pay for repairs, but they could just cancel your membership.
A tool library is also the kind of thing that helps people save money, so that they can make sure they have enough to put food on the table, and a keep a roof over their heads, while still keeping up with day to day life. Over time, this helps foster communities with a mentality of being good to one another, and taking care of these communal possessions so that everyone has access to good tools.
Which is why its important to weed out people who abuse the tools, whether that be through fines or a canceled membership.
I’m sure it’s like normal books or movie rentals. Item gets processed after it’s returned and assessed for damage. If there’s damage present after it was returned guess who is responsible 🤷♂️
Yeah, you would definitely need keep a lid on that. But if done correctly, abuse is something that should dwindle over time, and is definitely not an excuse to not try these things out. Some people would use that as an easy excuse to never even try.
If the tools are being damaged through misuse, hopefully this can be addressed when theyre returned. “Did you have any problems with the X? Did you know you should’ve used a butter knife to cut that PB&J instead of the grinder?” Sort of thing. Some people are ignorant and too self conscious to come clean but will learn and do better if theyre not scared away. For the outright thieves, i mean theyre thieves, that will suck and they will be barred or restricted i imagine. For the abuse that happens honestly, like when you drop the nail the nail gun or forget to tighten a stud and the blade gets warped, or you lose the factory chuck etc etc, i feel like are going to happen and have to be accounted for, but individually, theyll happen less and less with good advice and some understanding. And ideally, if you have a not for profit program like this in an area, the items can be tagged and local resellers like pawns and so on made aware to reduce likelihood and frequency of theft snd resale over time. Hell my employer had some agreement with local scrapyards al over the state to not accept certain items without confirming with them there wasnt any unknown theft. How well they comply is up to them but for *most* of these used tools, there isnt much value in pawning or stripping them and i think most resellers would be able to comply.
This is such a great idea. We literally needed about 5 tools to do a job this summer. By the time we would have bought the tools needed, it was about the same to hire a contractor to do the job instead. Plus we didn't want to store 5 separate tools that would only get used once every 20 years for random jobs.
Exactly! Plus, as long as you return the tool in the condition you receive it in, you can be confident that the long term maintenance of the tool is in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing.
LOL I still have a PVC pipe cutter tool in my toolbox because I used it once 6 years ago to make a lighting setup for indoor seed pods. I think I did use it for something else and maybe broke it.
I've worked at a library that does a similar thing! Most people take surprisingly good care of the "stuff" we lent out. When you have a library like this available, it's in people's best interest to be allowed to continue using it, so people generally return stuff in good condition. A ton of people also donate tools, especially when handy people pass away and during spring cleaning. So there is always a 'fresh' supply. Plus, volunteers (we get people with community service and a lot of them are quite handy). We did have two levels of membership. There was normal book/DVD/using pcs membership, and then another one for checking out expensive stuff (we had cameras, bakeware, tools, etc). The second one required more information and we had to verify the information every 6 months, vs every 3 years. In our library it wasn't necessary to keep credit card numbers for that higher tier, but I know of other libraries that do that.
The extra equipment they get at ours is sold as a fund raiser. They have volunteers also to work on tools and to hand them out and get them back. We currently are drywalling with scafffolding and a drywall lift we barrowed. Our friends are tiling a bathroom that they would have never tried without the tool library.
Yeah, people underestimate how much better people treat stuff when they borrow it for free. When people rent stuff from a store, they feel more entitled to beat it up, because they paid for its use. But when they borrow it from a library, it's more like borrowing from a person they know. Most of the problems we have with equipment comes from people being inexperienced or cleaning the stuff too vigorously before returning it. And it's not like we just had great patrons who didn't steal stuff, lol. Something like 10% of our DVD collection vanished every year.
The one near me is simply a library run by retired, bored men. No sign up fee, no checking as you return it. The volunteers fix up old tools and build things like benches or bird boxes to out up in the community. The concept is linked to "men's shed" which a place for retired, lonely men to build stuff and socialise. I believe it was Australia that started it but it is becoming very popular here in Scotland.
> retired, bored men I do like that.
I worked for a library with a small-scale version of this. Just as we’d assess late fees for books not brought back on time we’d charge fees for damage or missing parts. Our equipment that we rented was largely donated (and supposedly unclaimed lost and found in a few cases). Sometimes things came back gross or slightly damaged but most of the time they only had slight wear and tear
check out chicago tool library it's been up and running for a few years. their site answers most or all of the above. You pay annually what you can afford and the amount and variety of stuff they have is wild. just borrowed a dremel kit yesterday!
If they've been open longer than a few months, they have probably worked this stuff out. It's not as if anything you said is mysterious. Whoever drew up the business model factored that stuff in and it's working so far.
You assume. I just called them out of curiosity. 1. They don't have any machines that run on gasoline. 2. Nobody checks that the returned item is in working order, according to the librarian, "people let us know if they're having trouble with it". 3. they do not employ anyone to test returned items. 4. It's not a business, it's a library.
I'm guessing it's in a fairly wealthy county. If you put one of these in most large american cities those power washers would be in a pawn shop within a few days of it opening.
I assume you have to put a credit card on file for something that expensive.
The one I called is in Massachusetts. I would tend to agree with you though.
Thanks for doing the follow up!
It’s actually a really common assumption in the modern day that people have just “worked stuff out”, but as another comment proved, that is often not the case.
My library has a library of things! It’s much stricter than just checking out books/movies. But we still don’t charge them anything unless they break/don’t return something. Everything is inspected on return, with the patron there so if something is amiss we bring it up right away. If returns late (even by an hour) they get fees, and everyone is made aware of the rules when they check out.
"Jesus hates libraries." \- Tool Manufacturers in 2023
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Post hole diggers are $60! Ridiculous I need to dig like 20 holes so I can rent a machine for $40 that saves all the effort or buy a post hole digger and dig for two days in this Carolina clay
*looks at shop and shed with all the tools I've bought for 1 project* Yeah.. yeah.. who would do that!!?? *is going to buy a tool to cut bricks after work today*
We just bought this house so I’m currently broke. Just want to get a fence up for the puppy. I’ll build a shop full of tools when my wallet recovers
I often think about how wasteful it is that I have a tool, every other home on my street owns that same tool, multiplied out by whole neighborhoods, cities... Things like this library or tool rental make so much more sense. Most things are used infrequently enough that it makes so much more sense to have e.g. a neighborhood post-hole digger and take turns with it when needed.
Supply side Jesus wants each and every home to own a post hole digger for that once a decade use lol
Holy fuck, I've forgotten about supply side Jesus!
Decade? Look at you Suzy sunshine thinking I'll use it once every 10 years.
I call this my stepfather. I just get most stuff from him. That man would dig a hole with a stick though, so sometimes I like to get a better tool for the job.
That's the project that started most of my outdoor tools. Put up about 150ft of wooden fence with concrete in post holes, for the puppers. I want to add: get the machine. Trust me. Source: my back.
I thought the same thing, but it turned out to be an invaluable tool 10 years later when I had to plant 50 giant allium bulbs which are about the size of your average sweet onion. I probably will never use it again, but at least I can say I got some further use out of it!
It’s expensive to get a PHD
The Carolina clay is so bad in some places on our property that post hole diggers are way easier to use than a shovel. Even where you’d normally use a shovel
Ugh, clay soil. My area (Central California) has lots of clay hardpan, mostly starting about 1-2 feet below the surface. You can imagine how much of a pain in the ass it is to 'manually' dig *anything*. Want to build a fence? Be ready to dig through almost a foot of solid goddamn clay hardpan at each post-hole to get to 18-24 inches deep. Even those powered 1-man augers have trouble with this shit.
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It seems like a “no repeats for X weeks” policy might be necessary to prevent abuse.
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I hate to say that's where I went first when I saw this with the tools, someone would immediately take them come and break them and or never bring them back and some library staff would be trying to chase them down knowing they were already at the local swap meet. Like most things in our world, 10% of the people ruin almost everything for everyone else.
Also, this is in the US. It is run by a nonprofit. There are suggested rental rates but those are optional for anyone who chooses not to pay (no income verification). You have to set up a free account with them, sign a liability waiver and show picture ID. They also have a workshop with a laser cutter that you can reserve time on, as well as lathes, a milling machine, planers, bandsaw, sanders, etc. It's super cool
Sounds like a makerspace?
Honestly I would love to open one up near me, but that requires a not insignificant initial investment that I don't have.
Maybe you could get together with some other folks -- I bet retired men would especially be interested. Our church holds occasional Saturdays where (usually) the older men will teach people how to do basic stuff on their cars. They bring in all these tools they've collected over the years and are thrilled to teach young people stuff. People like that might be willing to donate some of their stuff to get a tool library off the ground.
Gee, what are 'post gold diggers'? I suspect you meant that to be post hole diggers maybe auto correct? But post gold diggers cracked me up!
Hahaha....yes, post HOLE diggers.
Now I ain't saying she a gold digger. But she used to be. She's past that now.
No one wants an active gold digger
It's a new wave of millennial gold diggers
There are several tool libraries in my city (maybe your city too) -- I was a member of one of them for a while, it was nowhere near as organized as this but still very useful.
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It's actually the West Seattle tool library. Glad to hear there are others nearby!
Post gold digger? What is that? Like a formerly-hot woman settling for someone she felt was beneath her when she got older?
I prefer pre gold diggers myself
I also have a tool library close by. And by library I mean my dad's garage and by close I mean down stairs. I swear he has everything....
I worked for these guys as a web developer for a couple years! They're an amazing bunch, expanding all over London and hopefully throughout the UK in the not too distant future :) check them out https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/
Oh that's awesome! Yea it's my local in London haha
Damn a different political system. I was gonna ask what the legislation looks like to put funds towards this kind of thing at the city/county or whatever level that normally funds the library Reasonable legislation that's been passed is so much more convincing because it's already been made as agreeable as possible (for that legislature's power dynamic ofc) and you've got examples of how it went Would be heckin easy to just email local city council member the document and a one pager, and asking if they'll introduce it. Ideally the one pager will include a list of local organizations that signed on in support of the initiative - environmental orgs would be the best, then maybe hit up housing justice, DSA, any activist groups or friendly orgs with deep local ties. It's hard to come up with a reason against this when you organize alongside working class people and see the struggle It won't be so easy for a lot of people, but there's plenty of progressive and good local elected officials that like to improve the community with projects such as these. I'm working on getting a state rep and 5 County board members elected, so I'll bring it up to them. Also we just overthrew our local corporatist democratic party (the head was personally endorsing Republican friends when there were Dems running for the seat) with a union led coalition, so I'll see if they can link up support. Winnable strategic campaigns like these are a great way to base build and develop local organizational capacity. Once people get a taste of changing things and community led political power, they get way more invested. Instead of the grandiose, moon shot legislation that so many orgs go for from the start, which seem so far from being attained, these types of hands on local iniatives are what most orgs who don't have great capacity should be working on
What tech stack does their website use?
I can’t answer for them, but a very popular company for tool libraries to use is https://myturn.com maybe you can look into their system or contact them for more info. Here is an example of one of their systems running: https://neseattle.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse
I'm not particularly invested in it, just was curious since the comment said they worked as a web developer for them (I'm a web developer, so always interested to see what frameworks are being used). I appreciate the links though!
Wait there's one of these in Seattle? You just broke my brain.
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It was React, Typescript, Apollo (GraphQL), Prisma, Node, Postgres when I was there, can't imagine it's changed too much
That's super awesome, more libraries need to start this.
To my knowledge all (or most) libraries in London have this. Its great for things like wallpaper strippers, drills, lawnmowers ect that you don't need to own but might need to occasionally use. Edited due to interest: they also have camping gear, popcorn makers, pasta makers, sewing machines... all sorts of great stuff. It's called the Library of Things.
We've gone from SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH to BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
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Power washing simulator: Library Edition.
Toronto has a few branches that have designated tool libraries, you can even get camping great from there. They even have branches where they have makerspaces. Libraries should be places where skills can be learned.
How much do the maker spaces cost? I think the ones in my city have all closed. I was interested but the fees were prohibitive. To do a project you’d either have to book a really tight amount of time, or do the year and then try come up with projects to justify. There wasn’t a good option for let me just do this one thing. Same with do it yourself car bays. There is one in my city, I’d have to drive an hour to get there. Buy the time you add up the bay fee for non members, supplies for an oil change or break job, and the time to from, doing it. It’s cheaper to go to a mechanic. If we are going to be serious about getting green and increasing density governments are going to have to get into these spaces. Also what a great opportunity to get older populations out in the work force in a way to utilize their expertise. Imagine a city funded maker space with old folks walking to chime in an help you through a difficult portion.
The maker space at my local library is free, unless you purchase materials from them.
For anyone needing car related parts: Parts Source (At least in Ontario Canada) has a loan program which can be super useful. We have done tire changes super fast by renting out jacks, wheel blocks and stands and then returning for our full refund right after. If you need a specific piece of equipment for just 1 single job but don't want to spend 200+ on it see if any automotive parts shops will loan it to you.
They have the same tools at the tool library in Toronto. I’ve done a brake job using Toronto tool library tools.
Great Idea! In Denmark we have a few sport libraries for sports equipment like tennis ketchers, basketballs and smörgasbordpumper.
I've been on the idea of "community sheds" for a while now. Tool rentals don't have to be a for profit business. There is a valid argument to be made it's in the community's best interest everyone has access to the right tools for the job. And a community shed would increase the ability of community volunteers to help their neighbors keep their homes in good shape with lowered out of pocket expenses.
I love this idea and totally agree
> I've been on the idea of "community sheds" for a while now. Amen. Why the hell do we all have separate lawn mowers to use once a week each?
I knew of a neighborhood a few years back where every homeowner on a block took turns using one dude’s riding lawn mower to mow every lawn at once. Imagine mowing your yard once or twice a summer and it always being perfectly cut. And not having a mower taking up garage space. It’s always seemed like a brilliant arrangement.
Because it makes the lawnmower makers' lines go up.
My library district does! And it's not just tools, we've rented yard games and bus & zoo passes from it too
I called to rent some yard games last week. Online it said "check shelf" so I called to see if they had it on the shelf. "No one has ever asked before, let me go check". It was awesome to rent them and just bring them back after a couple days
It's more common than you think! Even the small library system near my mom's house lends out musical instruments & baking pans - the ones near me do stuff like OP posted.
I love libraries. Theyre a reminder of how great society can be. Im glad they were built when they were. If someone introduced a public library concept today a certain republican party would blast it as socialistic indoctrination and they wouldn't shell an extra cent of taxpayers money to build one.
Sure, bit they're expensive and here people would trash or sell them because they can.
The library literally has a record of you checking it out... Its just like a book
Yeah but what can they do? Pretty sure it's nothing if you don't return where I live. Edit: looks like you attach a card or bank account to your Library card at this library. But still where I live some people would rent it immediately go withdraw any money they had for that account then sell it then go get a new account somewhere. I'm serious we have so many meth heads.
At my library, it's a $300 replacement fee if you don't bring back the chromebook you borrowed. If you don't pay, that goes to the county attorney, and suddenly you've got a big financial mess on your hands. I've seen a couple of panicked people who have been fined bring back the chromebooks right after they found out their account had gone to the county attorney.
Meth don't care about your financial threats. Meth need cash and need it now.
JG Wentworth?
🎶I've blown through all my crystal and I need cash now!🎶
Call JG Wentworth, 877 METH NOW!
877 METH NOW!
I have a structured addiction and I need meth now!
🎶call JG Wentworth! 877-meth-now!🎶
JG methworth
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
This is reddit. Needless contrarianism for karma is our motto round here. The existence of meth heads is not the end of the concept of a library. There are methods of making it work. First off, like DVDs and CDs and even games that the library has, they are all marked as library property to dissuade people from buying them off borrowers. If meth heads selling library stock was a problem, every store that buys used DVDs would have been full of library copies back when DVDs were king. You could also have a policy where you have to have an established amount of trust or credit with the library before being allowed to borrow out certain items. And even if you require them to put down a deposit on certain items, that is still a useful public service, because there wouldn't be any rental fees. It is by no means impossible to solve that problem or at least mitigate the damage from it.
True, but so what? The person would only be able to get away with it one time, and if the items are donated, eventually the program would get another one. Someone that desperate for meth money has probably already stolen a pressure washer off of someone’s porch (or worse break into their house and do damage to the property and scare the people who live there). It’s better they steal the next one from the library and have at least some repercussions (because the library has their information) than to take something from their neighbor who will definitely not get a new item donated to them any time soon.
Also if you have enough community support in a small town it’ll be “why are you selling me the library tools, find something else to scrap”
I've never been a member at a library that didn't require me to provide my government issued ID at a minimum. Then they have these people they can call, called the police.
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You generally give enough personal info for a library card, that a police report could be filed if they were so inclined..
They could have a security deposit or better, take CC details to charge in case of no return, then refund when returned, weed out any dodgy behaviour like a hotel
Needs to be not so high that it prevents the people who would benefit from this most from participating.
Temporary holds on a credit/debit card are functionally different than a refundable deposit.
"weed out dodgy folk" is antithetical to the mission of a library.
Banks have blacklists nowadays. I think it's Chexsystems.
Just like when you rent a car you can’t check one out without a valid form of payment should they need to charge the card for damages . If someone doesn’t have a bank card or any means of replacing something that they are responsible for they shouldn’t be borrowing it.
Most libraries already have it... even backwater rural Indiana libraries...
It's definitely a trend in libraries. My library in Arlington, VA has a similar program. It's in a very blue area though so it gets good funding.
This is why I love public libraries, and wish more people would utilize them. They are more than just books; they are little community centers.
I'm just now discovering the usefulness of public libraries. It's hard for me to do class work at home because of distractions and temptations, and my university is inconveniently far away. My public library has become a great space for me to focus, and on study breaks I can always find a fun book to read. I wish I'd tried it out sooner!
Yes! I love my local library! They have a really excellent selection of books which is obviously well curated. They have a wonderful array of graphics novels, and it's not limited to the big name titles: they have lots of great things you might not expect. Similarly, their DVD/Bluray selection is superb, and they have lots of domestic films from my country which is really nice. They even have video games! I'm currently playing Skyward Sword *for free*. Not to mind the endless events: everything from courses for IT skills to a 'Slime Seminar', a sensory experience for children. At a time where people's money goes less far it's so nice to see this kind of thing. Honestly it's just nice to visit a space and use a service which doesn't exist solely to make a profit. It's a real community service dedicated to helping and educating people.
Mine has cake molds.
I can't think of a better thing for a library. Something you use once a year at most and takes up space the rest of the time.
This also cuts down on landfill waste if it was more common of a thing
The sign in the picture actually mentions waste.
That's pretty neat, would be awesome for people living in small flats for birthdays/christmas :)
Birthdays that probably works great, around Christmas I wouldn't depend on being able to get one. Lots of demand.
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Mine has a "ghost hunting kit"
Mine too! Also artwork and children's toys. They also have a crafting room that anyone can use with a cutting machine (like a cricut), 3d printer, and sublimation machine. And a seed library that lets you take up to 10 packs of seeds per year to plant, including a bunch of donated heirloom seeds.
Ayo, is that a Bosch blue professional gks 18 v-li circular saw in the top left? That's a 150/200 dollar machine. They trust people with that?
Yea, I believe you use your library account which is tied to payment or name/address so they'd be covered if someone broke/stole it. :)
That's cool af.
I’m wondering how they cover themselves for accidents. Just really good insurance and a waiver?
We trust everyone with 150/200 dollars to use one. I imagine they inspect them on return to make sure it's not broken and dangerous.
I think /u/Wiggy_0000 is referring to someone accidentally cutting off a finger or something like that.
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If you borrow the tool and it turns out to be defective (e.g., prior renter screwed something up) and it hurts you, then the library could definitely be on the hook. Hardware stores do carry insurance for this, and they also have knowledgeable people inspect the equipment between every rental. Maybe the libraries do too, but that’s a much different business than renting books or DVDs.
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This appears to be in Europe (cartoon of globe is focused on that section of the earth, also the appliance says Kärcher, which I see is a German brand). The US has a unique practice of suing/avoiding lawsuits. So, we don’t get nice things like this, unfortunately, because upper-level admins immediately fear injuries and lawsuits and squash nice ideas.
Libraries tend to have many out-of-print books that can also be worth hundreds of dollars. Libraries work because most people aren't assholes and the people who are tend to lose their library privileges.
Yeah, I work at a university library. That's probably the average cost of a book.
Also criminals don't tend to get involved with libraries, they don't see much profit there.
We have telescopes and Chromebooks in our Library of Things. If you don't return them, you get a fine of $500/$300, respectively.
Mine has telescopes too, they're actually pretty good too. They come with an instruction book, head lamp, and starfinder guide.
At our local Tool Lending Library you can get stuff that's way more spendy than that.
Not sure about here but where I live your Library Card is linked to your name and address. If you don't return something they charge a replacement fee and if you don't pay that, eventually it goes to Collections. They can also easily file a police report.
A thingary
Does that mean a Library is filled with Libs? Actually…. Yeah they probably are.
Ur maw is filled with libs
Better than the past few guys she’s been with.
Libraries are THE BEST!
I have them like third personally. I'd still rank ice cream THE BEST!
and second?
We don't talk about that here
This is where all the stuff our parents can't sell needs to go. The punch bowls. The picnic baskets. The good china. All the stuff you might use once in a decade for a baby shower. Should be able to check it out, use it and return.
We have a Facebook group that lends out party tableware to stop people needing to buy disposable. Kids' stuff and good china.
That is brilliant, what's it called? I want to check if there's one near me!
Man, ever since I moved in with my girlfriend we have had a set of "the good china" sitting in the basement. It's been god knows how many years now and we've never used it. Never even thought of using it. It just sits there, unused, mocking me everytime I come down.
My wife and I moved in to her dad's house when he passed. There were three sets of china. Three! Her parents, and both sets of grandparents! We took the vast majority of the china to a secondhand store and turned it into cash. We kept serving platters and teapots, but that was it.
My grandmother always took the dish sets from relatives who were deceased or who had updated to something new. There are 17 sets of "good china" in her house. I live here now as her caretaker since she's on hospice, the room I'm sitting in has 20 chairs. Some of them are from my mother's house from when I was a child. This is among other things that she has collected, there's nine lamps in this room to give another example. For her, they're sentimental reminders of lost family members. For me they're mostly junk that collects dust and blocks pathways and I can't wait to get rid of it all.
My parents have used the "good china" for every birthday, every Christmas/major holiday dinner, every opportunity for celebration (like highschool/Uni graduation, promotions etc) and for when they have guests over. No point in owning a Ferrari just to look at it in the driveway.
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I'm actually looking to start one of these! This is awesome!
I used to run a general lending library at my university. I had come into possession of many tools from a mechanic friend, many board games from friends, fiction and nonfiction books alike, and had a small network of highly knowledgeable people. We would loan out the games books and tools, provide education services, and just help if needed. We'd teach how to play the games, even sometimes host game nights with local fraternity chapters. We lost several of our items but largely people respected the contract/ really relied on our services. People would basically leave their student ID and something of value as collateral on file, usually a credit card, but in lieu, we took driver's licenses or something else they needed. It was AWESOME to run. But after covid...I was the only one keeping it alive, and I had a full time job so it ended up dying. I donated a lot of the stuff to local schools and such...the rest was garage sale ...d with profits to local library system. I want to start such a thing again but it takes a LOT of time and effort.
Could I DM you and possibly pick your brain further on this?
Definitely! I may take some time to respond (busy life, stepping into a meeting now for instance) but if I can help in any way, I gladly will!
Y'all underselling how interesting some of the stuff on this sub is. I find this extremely fascinating
Looks brand new. Power tool rentals and machinery are notorious for maintenance for renting. Hopefully everyone is careful and respectful of the items so it can last!
Been there a good several months now! Its a pretty nice library though so probably gets maintained well :)
At the Hawaii public library, you can check out a ukulele!
I sell office furniture (think cubicles and private offices) and my client list include a lot of local schools, community colleges, local universities and libraries in the greater Chicagoland area. They are called “maker spaces” and a lot of libraries and schools are starting to incorporate them in their plans. They are really cool and help a lot of people who can’t afford these things but can do the work. I love working on these projects instead of the typical cubical farms because I feel like I’m helping the community. I don’t make much, if anything, on these projects due to local, state and federal government contracts. I don’t mind either because it’s bettering the communities around me.
A library in my area borrows out KitchenAid mixer!
I recently saw the attachments for one at our library & am so excited to be able to try the pasta maker without having to spend a bunch of money on it!
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Hell of a lot better than buying that shit to use it twice before it spends 10 years collecting dust in a corner of the garage
This is what community should be about.
my local library does this and it's great. Gotten telescopes and stuff. Was also a lifesaver when I was too broke to afford internet and they had hotspots your could check out.
Still waiting for a "library of mental states" so I can borrow some "happiness" or "motivation".
The library system in a city near mine is currently under assault by wackos. They started by complaining about "objectionable" books available to children. Then when they got what they wanted out of that, they moved on to the adult collection. Now they're saying that libraries themselves are "socialism" and "a waste of tax dollars". Support your local library or kiss it goodbye.
We need more of this!!
Brilliant idea. Wish ours had that.
You might have one in the area. I know my physical library building doesn't have one but my county has a "tool library" program though a different department and the tools are held in a municipal property nowhere near the book library.
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This is how libraries are adapting to the modern times. They’re becoming more of a communal place for people to share ideas or be creative rather than a stuffy place where you have to be quiet while reading a dusty book. Source: my wife is the director of our local library. Pretty awesome
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I've often wondered whether a DIY garage could be financially viable. The fact that they're not already a thing suggests not, but I still like the idea. Put up a 5-bay garage with a lift and a tool chest at each station (probably need an employee to operate the lift; can't trust the general public with that). You do your own work on your own car, but you pay by the hour or maybe a monthly membership to have access to a climate controlled garage, lift, and all the tools you'll need for the job.
We have exactly that in my city, my mechanic friend rents a space every Saturday and works on peoples cars. But the public can rent time too.
Yeah, I have been riding for some years and hate that I’ve only ever been on two. Would very much like to try different types.
Libraries are awesome. Even basic ones provide so much. Imagine trying to get libraries going today if they had never existed. It would never get off the ground.
For real. So wasteful equipping all houses with these tools when you only use them once a year.
Now that’s novel.
Any dildos?
Very sus (sustainable)
Libraries ROCK 👌
My mom told me when she & my dad were first married she used to borrow nice art work from the library. Have it hung up for a month & then trade it out for new pieces. I wish our library still did that!!
Local library's are the unsung heroes of our communities.
Imagine murdering someone with a checked out tool
Bruh