This is really neat, if you live in Berkeley you can check out tools, read the list there are some pretty impressive tools – like cement mixers and demolition hammers!
The Tool Library is restricted to Berkeley residents and to people who own property in Berkeley. To use the Tool Library, bring with you a photo ID, your Berkeley Public Library card and a bill you have received recently. Tool Library staff confirm your Berkeley residence in this way. Once confirmed, the Tool Library staff will stamp your library card with “TLL,” indicating you are eligible to borrow from the Tool Library.
Berkeley Public Library Tool Lending Library – [via] Link.
Makers, what other libraries do this? Post up in the comments and/or add them to the Maker map!
16 thoughts on “Berkeley public library tool lending”
Comments are closed.
I’m lucky enough to live a few blocks from the North Portland Tool Library. Though since they’re located in a basement and are limited to what people can carry up and down those stairs, they don’t have anything as big as a cement mixer.
I remember the tool library, glad it’s still there. My bf once upon a time lived across the street from there, and we borrowed their rototiller- they had all kinds of fantastic stuff.
Partsource and Canadian Tire in Canada will rent automotive tools, though you pay when you take it out, they give you a full refund when you take it back.
I’m in Berkeley and I love our tool lending library!!!
The guys there are super friendly and helpful, tho they teased me a lot me about checking out a rebar bender for Burning Man. ;-)
Note: The pic you’ve shown is the downtown main library branch. This isn’t where the tool library is located…they have a garage workshop style space at another branch and have set it up so you can park right by the door to load and unload.
San Francisco and Oakland also have tool lending libraries. Check them out, they’re great resources, and the staff are very helpful.
The Phinney Neighborhood Association in Seattle has a tool lending library. Members may borrow a tool for a suggested “tool maintanance” donation.
http://www.phinneycenter.org/programs/tool-lending.shtml
Wikipedia has a nice list of tool-lending libraries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool-lending_Libraries
I, too, live in Berkeley and have borrowed lots of tools from them for my various home improvement/business related project. My wife runs a day care so the need for bigger and better sandboxes and play structures is always on the todo list. Berkeley requires proof of residency (phone bill, I think). Oakland also has a tool lending library and aren’t as strigent in their requirements to check out tools, so if you can’t find a tool at Berkeley you can check out Oakland too. Anyhow, both resources have been extremely helpful.