Libraries of Things (often referred to as LoTs) are community hubs that facilitate the sharing of a wide range of items. Operating on the familiar model of a library, they extend borrowing beyond books and other media to include items like gardening and power tools, musical instruments, camping and sports equipment, and more.
LoTs foster a sense of community and put principles of the circular economy and mutual aid into action. They offer an alternative to consumerism and selfishness by promoting sharing and sustainability, providing a practical, eco-friendly way to meet everyday material needs. In today’s world, where collaboration and resourcefulness are increasingly vital, LoTs create spaces for cultivating solidarity and enabling sharing to become a daily practice.
It was with all this in mind that we launched our Libraries of Things program two years ago to showcase our new SolidarityWorks framework.
Since that time, we have surveyed community organizers and LoT practitioners in eleven countries, developed a fellowship program to launch new LoTs in historically marginalized and under-resourced communities, piloted new models of LoTs on a university campus and an affordable housing development, supported the launch of the National Tool Library Alliance, and convened the LoT Co-lab with over 200 participants from around the world. All of these projects have been made possible through the support of a growing list of partners and contributors.
Today, we’re excited to share the next offering from this program, The Library of Things Toolkit.
This comprehensive guide is designed to help people like you plan, start, and grow Libraries of Things in your community.
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Free Download: “The Library of Things Toolkit” |
The toolkit has been adapted from the 12 live presentations shared during the LoT Co-Lab (recorded between March and May 2024) and the expertise of the members of the National Tool Library Alliance.
There are 12 sections, each addressing a critical aspect of starting and running a Library of Things. Topics range from foundational steps like Getting Started and building an inventory (Getting Things) to practical considerations like Operations, Volunteers, and designing the physical or mobile space (Space, Going Mobile). It also covers essential strategies for Membership, Governance, Income Generation and Budgeting, and effective Communications and Marketing, as well as opportunities for hosting Workshops and Classes or collaborating with Public Libraries.
In addition to the written content, each section ends with digestible chapters from our free self-paced video course (60 videos in all!) and other resources and templates that will support you and your team as you move from inspiration to action!
This guide contains far too much information to be read straight through. We encourage you to start by skimming it to build a rough understanding of what goes into running a LoT. Then, after you have answered the core questions in Section 1 (who, what, when, where, why, and how), read sections more deeply as you reach each stage of planning and development.
This toolkit would not have been possible without the hard work and collaborative spirit of Leanna Frick, director of strategic growth at Station North Tool Library in Baltimore, MD, and the members of the National Tool Library Alliance.
A Spanish translation and printer-friendly version are currently in the works, and additional sections will be added to the web version of the toolkit over the next year, with the Library of Things Toolkit 2.0 expected to be released in late 2025.
