How to Start a Tool Library in Your Neighbourhood

Every street has a dozen cordless drills sitting in a dozen cupboards, and someone on that street is about to buy a thirteenth to hang one shelf. A tool library fixes that by letting neighbours borrow tools the way they borrow books. The idea is simple, but most groups that try it stall on the same three questions: where to keep the tools, how to stop them vanishing, and who pays for insurance.

I have helped two neighbourhood groups set one up, one in a church hall store and one in a converted shipping container. Here is what it actually takes, in order, with the numbers that tend to surprise people.

What a tool library is and who it serves

A tool library is a shared collection of tools that members borrow for a few days at a time, usually for a small annual fee. The Berkeley Tool Lending Library in California has run since 1979 as part of the public library system. Toronto, Edinburgh and dozens of smaller towns have volunteer-run versions, and many London boroughs now have a Library of Things kiosk lending items like carpet cleaners and pressure washers.

The people who use them most are renters, who have no shed and little storage, and first-time homeowners, who need a tile cutter once and never again. A good tool library also becomes a place where people ask how to do a job, which is worth as much as the tools.

How to start a tool library in five stages

1. Find ten founding members

Before you collect a single spanner, get ten people to commit to paying a membership fee and giving two hours a month. A notice in a shared courtyard, a residents' group chat and one evening meeting is usually enough. If you cannot find ten, the library will not survive the first winter. If your block already has a working shared space, our piece on turning a shared courtyard into something people use shows how those first conversations usually go.

2. Secure a space

You need about 15 to 25 square metres to start: enough for wall shelving, a lending counter and a bench for basic repairs. Common options are a spare room in a community centre, a basement store in a housing block, or a secondhand 20-foot shipping container, which costs around 2,000 to 3,500 pounds delivered. Ask about electricity early. Charging batteries and testing power tools needs at least one safe socket.

3. Sort insurance and safety

Public liability insurance for a small community group typically runs 150 to 400 pounds a year. Every member signs a borrowing agreement that says they use tools at their own risk. In the UK, plan to have mains-powered tools PAT tested once a year, which a local electrician will do for roughly 1 to 2 pounds per item. Some tools stay off the shelves entirely: chainsaws and anything needing training are not worth the risk for a new library.

4. Build the first collection

Aim for 80 to 120 items at opening. That is enough to feel useful without overwhelming volunteers.

5. Set up lending

Choose a booking system, opening hours and borrowing rules before launch day, then open with a short how-to session so the first visit feels like an event.

Curate the collection, do not just take donations

The standard advice is to put out a call for donations and see what comes in. I would argue against relying on it. Donations bring in what people want to get rid of: rusty saws, drills with dead batteries, three sets of mismatched sockets. Volunteers then spend months sorting, and the shelves fill with things nobody borrows.

Start with a wish list instead and ask for specific items. Accept donations only when they match the list and work on the spot. Spend your first membership income on the gaps. In both libraries I worked with, about 20 items accounted for more than half of all loans.

You may also hear that the average household drill is used for only 13 minutes in its life. It is a good slogan for a flyer, but it does not appear to come from a reliable study, so do not build your case on it. Your own loan counts after three months will be far more convincing to a funder.

Running costs, fees and rules that work

A small tool library usually costs 800 to 2,000 pounds a year to run once set up: insurance, testing, replacement blades and batteries, and a basic booking system. Most charge 15 to 40 pounds a year, with a reduced or free rate for people on low incomes. A hundred paying members covers costs comfortably.

Rules that keep tools coming back:

• Loans of 3 to 7 days, with one renewal if nobody is waiting.
• A small late fee, around 1 pound a day, mainly as a nudge.
• Photo ID and proof of address at sign-up.
• Return checks: plug it in, check the blade, count the bits, every time.
• Two opening sessions a week, one weekday evening and one Saturday morning, run by two volunteers each.

For booking, many libraries use dedicated lending software such as myTurn, while very small ones manage fine with a shared spreadsheet and a paper sign-out sheet for the first year.

Making it part of the neighbourhood

The libraries that last do more than lend. They run monthly repair sessions, teach a beginner class on drilling into masonry, and lend tools to street projects like planter building or a parklet. They also connect with other shared-ownership efforts. Groups that already hold land or buildings in common, like the ones in our piece on how community land trusts keep housing affordable, are natural partners and sometimes have spare space to offer.

Count everything from the first day: members, loans, and the most borrowed items. Those numbers are what turn a volunteer effort into something a council, housing association or local business will fund for the long term.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a tool library?

A small volunteer tool library can open for roughly 1,500 to 5,000 pounds, depending on whether the space is free or needs a container. That covers insurance, shelving, a first round of tool purchases and testing. Many groups raise it through founding memberships and a small local grant.

What happens if someone breaks a borrowed tool?

Normal wear is expected and covered by membership fees. Most libraries ask borrowers to report damage on return and only charge for clear misuse or loss. A signed borrowing agreement sets out these terms before the first loan.

Do tool libraries need insurance?

Yes. Public liability insurance protects the group if a member is injured using a tool or damages someone else's property. It is usually affordable for small groups and is often a condition of using a community building.