Tool libraries

There are a handful of libraries around the US with tools collections. The general idea is that library card holders can borrow axes, saws, power drills, roto-rooters (clean them before you bring them back!), and other rarely used but essential equipment for a few days.

I thought about this prompted by a posting in Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools about energy meters and how they can save you hundreds of dollars a year by identifying inefficient appliances. It turns out that the Ann Arbor District Library has four of these "line loggers" for patrons to borrow. (One of them is on reserve for me right now!) Figure out how much electricity your fridge or computer is using and take steps to conserve.

Cool Tools ran a piece on these tool lending libraries in 2004. He lists collections at the Oakland Tool Library, the San Francisco Tool Library, and the Berkeley Tool Library. I've seen others online Kansas City, MO run by the non-profit Westside Housing, a non-profit "toolmobile" run by the city of Columbus, OH, and the North Portland (Oregon) Tool Library. There's a list of tool-lending libraries in Wikipedia.

Comments

[Patricia Uttaro]

I know of a few tool libraries where I live, but none are associated with a library -- they are all neighborhood things. I'd love to know what other non-traditional items libraries are lending. A few in Monroe County NY are smoke detectors, cameras, tote bags, ebook readers, quicktiionary pens, and visual aids. I'm planning to loan ipods from my library next summer. What other things are going out of our libraries?

[mandy]

I work at the Westerville Public library just outside of Columbus Ohio.(www.westervillelibrary.org) A fairly recent addition to our library is the lending of mp3 players to correspond with our access to downloadable audiobooks through NetLibrary. Patrons seem to like this service a lot--currently we own 7 players, and there are 23 people waiting for one.
Another thing I really like is the creation of book discussion kits for lending--usually at least 8 copies of a certain book, along with a reading group guide and anything else that ties in with the book. This makes it easy for everyone in a book club to get the same book at the same time, without buying it.

[Bruce Fields]

"It turns out that the Ann Arbor District Library has four of these "line loggers" for patrons to borrow. (One of them is on reserve for me right now!) Figure out how much electricity your fridge or computer is using and take steps to conserve."

According to whoever I talked to at the central library last night, those haven't been seen there for at least a year, and the catalog is just out of date.

[wanda bean]

looking for information
on how to run a Tool rental library

[Edward Vielmetti]

Librarian In Black notes energy meter availability in Arlington, VA:

http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/10/a-green-library.html

and an unnamed commenter there notes that the Ottawa library lends out energy meters and pedometers!

http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/explore/about/partners_e.html#pedometers