Process
Status Items Output None Questions None Claims None Highlights Done See section below
Highlights
id882584524
connects people with the tools and know-how to make daunting do-it-yourself projects more accessible. For a sliding scale fee, members of the cooperatively-run library have access to a catalogue of about 1,630 items that have been amassed over the past four or so years through donations. Tools like the power washers, hammers, drills, cameras, lawn mowers, pet carriers, grills and pop-up tents can be borrowed for one to two weeks.
id882584636
Volunteers get to know their neighbors and their stories, and provide guidance if they need help.
id882584462
Tool libraries are typically hyperlocal projects sustained primarily by donations and volunteers, making them relatively insulated from the whims of far-away neo-fascists and tech billionaires.
id882583522
Through workshops, locals have learned the basics of power tools, electrical work, plumbing, machine sewing, hand sewing, wood working, little free library building, sign making and more. With these new skills, people are better equipped to repair their belongings when they break, saving them money and keeping things out of landfills.
id882583571
host open shop hours where people can fix things and collaborate on other projects together.
id882583638
“Imagine a world where there are tool libraries in every neighborhood, and they’re third spaces for people to hang out without having to spend money,” she said. “There are potlucks to share food, and urban farms.”
id882583665
solidarity economies that weave together things like worker-owned cooperatives, community land trusts, popular assemblies and mutual aid networks to build a world that prioritizes people and planetary health over economic growth.