How to Start a Tool Lending Library in Your Community

The concept is beautifully simple: most tools spend over 95 percent of their life sitting idle. A circular saw might get used for ten hours in an entire year. A pressure washer might run for five hours. Yet every household feels the need to own these items, leading to billions of dollars in redundant purchases, garages full of rarely-used equipment, and neighbors who cannot afford tools going without. Tool lending libraries solve this by pooling community resources so that everyone has access to the tools they need without the cost and waste of individual ownership. The first public tool lending library in the United States opened in 1979 at the Berkeley Public Library in California, and the model has since spread to hundreds of communities across the country. Starting one in your community is achievable, impactful, and deeply rewarding. This guide walks you through the practical steps from initial concept to opening day, drawing on lessons from successful libraries across the country.