Don't buy it.
Borrow it.
A drill for four holes. A ladder for one evening. Here you borrow them, bring them back, and someone else uses them. Like books, but with drills.
How many tools have you
bought for nothing?
The hammer drill for four holes. The ladder for one evening. The chainsaw for one pruning. And then years of dust in the garage, staring at you. Tick what you happened to buy.
Three moves.
You join
A proposed yearly fee of €30. If you can't afford it, you pay less: just say so.
You take
Up to six tools at a time, for a week. No charge per loan.
You return
Clean and on time: someone else is waiting for it. Then you take another.
It starts
with you.
Open the garage, the cellar, the attic. That tool you haven't switched on in years: bring it. It sets everything else in motion.
Someone will have to fix it up. Someone will sell the spare parts. Someone who doesn't know you yet will use it and send you a blessing. And when you need it, you'll find it at the library, without buying it again.
A place that
already has
the vocation.
I like the former carpentry workshop on via dei Cistercensi, next to the covered market: a municipal building that already has the right vocation.
What is inside today, I don't know. For now it is an idea, not a project.
What it really takes.
The library only, with the premises provided free of charge. My estimates, not quotes.
€7,700to startdepending on how many tools (60–150) and how many donated
€2,800every yearinsurance, maintenance, checks, sundries
The assumptions and the places where I may be wrong are all in the feasibility study.
Now it's your turn.
Write in the comments: would you use it? And what would you take out of your garage? No commitment, no cost. If there is no interest, nothing happens, and I'll tell you.
I'd use it →Workshop and classes.
Where you learn to use the tools: stools from reclaimed wood, olive-tree pruning, small home repairs. For now it is not part of the numbers: the library comes first.
How it works
Members save money and space, and learn new things.
It's like a library of books: you borrow the tools, then bring them back so someone else can use them.
To borrow you need the proposed yearly fee of €30 (to cover costs) and agreement to the Lending Policy and the Membership Agreement.
When it's open
Tuesday 6–9pm
Saturday 10am–1pm
Example hours, as in Belfast.
What can I borrow?
Borrowing is free for members: up to six tools at a time, for one week.
How do I renew?
You can extend by a week by telling the volunteers before the due date. The tools belong to everyone: returning them on time and clean is part of the commitment.
| Late | €2 per tool per opening session |
|---|---|
| Cleaning | €5 if returned very dirty |
Example amounts derived from Belfast; the proceeds cover costs.
And accessories?
Tools are normally lent without consumables. A few basic accessories (drill bits, goggles) come with the tool and must be returned.
How much does it cost?
€30 a year, more if you want to support the project, less if you can't afford it. No other charge for loans.
Inventory
Example list: not a real inventory.
Volunteers
The library lives thanks to people who give a few hours.
We're looking for
- Tool librarians: friendly, able to keep track of items.
- Maintenance team: people who can repair and want to pass on the craft.
- Communications group: tells the project's story, online and in person.
- Other skills: accounting, insurance, a van.
Proposed commitment: about 3.5 hours a month, as in Belfast.
What you get
- Free membership
- Skills to share and to learn
- Training (electrical testing of tools, sharpening)
- A community of capable, generous people
Contact
For now, write in the post's comments.
Where
Premises to be identified, Atri (TE).
Library hours
Tuesday 6–9pm · Saturday 10am–1pm (example)
A tool to donate?
Don't throw it away: write in the comments what it is and what condition it's in.