When getting the word out about yourcrowdfunding campaign, use all available resourcesincluding social media, email, newsletters, flyers, posters, your website, blog posts on partners websites, word-of-mouth, video, and events. Save over 40% off the annual cover price for a full year (4 issues) of Make. These type of systems take the drudgery out of the process by handling everything from automatically emailing loan reminders []. Couture-Lalande advises having at least five committed people, but preferably 10 because people will come and go. I just go and grab one when I need it, Kane says. Resilience is a program of Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the world transition away from fossil fuels and build sustainable, resilient communities. Public libraries are well-suited to running tool loan programs because the operations are similar: Libraries have the software to monitor inventories; track which tools are out on loan; manage waiting lists; and send deadline reminders and overdue notices. A tool library is an example of a Library of Things. Skinker DeBaliviere No results found, try adjusting your search and filters. (Video length: Approx. People are rising up to defend a habitable world some from the countryside, on the frontline of the extraction of natural resources, and others in dense urban areas, on the frontline of the extraction of the lives of oppressed and colonized people. | Engineered by, 5 Tips for a Successful Tool Lending Library, From Farm to Fun: Discover The Natural Beauty of Agritourism, Tractor Time Episode 70: WATER ANALYSIS: Integrating Precision Analysis with Crop Input Applications, Harnessing the Power of Cold-Pressed Neem Oil, The Benefits of Off-farm Biology For Your Soil. Steiner says running a crowdfundingcampaign while working full-time can benutso crazy. She advises liningup as much support as possible before hitting the Gobutton to give yourself more time to deal with surprises along the way. O'Fallon By emphasizing the benefits of access over ownership, the idea of lending tools is quickly spreading. Indiegogo has aCrowdfunding Field Guide, Kickstarter has aCreator Handbookandother crowdfunding sitesoffer resources and help with the areas you may beuncomfortable with, such as making the video. The above average use Homicki estimates items at tool libraries are used 10 to 100 times more than tools by individuals means that tools wear out faster than average, too. Rather than visiting your neighbor to borrow the proverbial cup of sugar, offer to lend them a hand with their projects by lending your tools and vice versa. Insurance & Legal Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? Soulard Members of the North Portland Tool Library in Oregon cited saving money, avoiding tool storage and maintenance, environmental benefits and improving their neighborhoods as the main reasons for joining the neighborhood tool library; tool loans helped members save an estimated $447,025 about $60 per tool. The people in the community want the tool library to succeed, says Homicki, both because it offers a valuable serviceand also because they were part of co-creating an amazing community resource.. Before the crowdfunding campaign, set up a bank account and get insurance for the tool library. A part-time staff person (often paid for through membership fees) can tackle maintenance; volunteers can help, too. A bond measure helped the Berkeley Public Library establish its tool library; most of the 304 items available through the Safety Harbor Tool Library were donated; library funds helped purchase additional tools to build the collection. The campaign benefits from a big injection of cash, and benefactors getpublicity and a image boost. Rhodes says people check out tools at the Buffalo Tool Library for carpentry, plumbing, electric, gardening, interior DIY projects, and even entertaining. There is a movement toward simplicity, toward not wanting or needing to own everything, said Gene Homicki, co-founder of the West Seattle Tool Library and CEO of the equipment-sharing platform MyTurn. How to Start a Tool Lending Library - Make: At the University Heights Tool Library, one of the toughest challenges was figuring out how to match donations to the physical improvements they were doing in the neighborhood. 16 Tips to Crowdfund a Tool Library In Your Town - resilience Research your options and make sure theplatform you choose is a good fit for your campaign and your tool library. Riverview Comments are helpful! Most also levy late fees for borrowers who keep their tools longer than the pre-determined rental periods. Co-Founder of OpenROV, a community of DIY ocean explorers and makers of low-cost underwater robots. Resilience is a program of Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the world transition away from fossil fuels and build sustainable, resilient communities. Media coverage can give your campaigna boost. NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed. It is strongly recommended that if you will be loaning out tools, you take some basic precautions to protect yourself. 5 Tips for a Successful Tool Lending Library | EcoFarming Daily More: Inevitably, most of the cost will depend on whether you decide to have employees and . Know what youre asking for. When pro organizer and DIYer Elise Hay (@organizedsanctuaries) needed a miter saw and electric sander to turn a closet in her house into a kids craft station and a tile saw for her partial bathroom reno last spring, she didnt run out to buy them. Additionally, finding a sponsoring association is sometimes a good place to start, so check out your local public library, or resource center for your town or city and see if they are interested in helping support your local effort, Rhodes says. later. Kane, of the Asheville Tool Library, says one thing people might not know about tool libraries is just how robust the offerings are. Farmers might need bigger equipment or more specialized tools.. Dont hit publish then sit back and wait for donations to come inmake sure that as many people as possible know about the campaign. Having access to tools empowers residents to take action on all kinds of projects and it simplifies maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation of homes and yards. I dont have to find a place to store it. Cat Johnson is a freelance writer focused on community, the commons, sharing, collaboration and music. then you can also talk with your existing insurance agency about adding a rider or amendment for your tool library operations. [], I love the idea of building community to share resources, [] Cant find the tool you need on your block? Tool libraries are nonprofit lending organizations where you can check out carpentry, plumbing, and electronic tools and more. How will it be used? Krolikowski and Cotton explain that last year, their 24 hour crowdfunding campaign throughSpring It On, a United Way-sponsored regional crowdfunding event, raised $3,000 toward continuing community projects, including the renovation of a community space, graffiti removal, and planting trees. Benton Park West A growing number of communities operate their own tool lending library to allow residents to borrow tools free of charge because building a fence requires a lot of tools, and purchasing a brand-new post-hole digger, post pounder, measuring wheel, plumb bob and drill can be cost-prohibitive, and even renting can get expensive. We independently select these productsif you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. [], [] How to Start a Tool Lending Library Gene Homicki, Co-Founder of the West Seattle Tool Lending Library they embed best practices right into the systems. Patrons should be considered as partners, too. Tower Grove East Walnut Park East Tool libraries allow patrons to check out or borrow tools, equipment and "how-to" instructional materials, functioning either as a rental shop, with a charge for borrowing the tools, or more commonly free of charge as a form of community sharing. Tool libraries operate on the same principles as public libraries: Borrowers check out tools, complete their tasks and return tools for the next borrower. Lindenwood Park Make aplan for your crowdfunding campaign. 2 Tools and Ways to Manage Your Windows Libraries - MUO You might be surprised what you come up with. Shaw Gene Homicki, Co-Founder of the West Seattle Tool Lending Library, had a few other important considerations and steps that he would have liked to see added to the Guide to Sharing list: Its amazing how many inquiries we get every week from all over the country (and the world!) Botanical Heights Make sure you know what youre getting into when it comes to shipping a lot of packages, and make sure you have enough people to help if your crowdfunding campaign is a runaway success. Some of it is about space, and some of it is just about a sharing economy offering an alternative to a more consumerist mindset. (Shelby Rodeffer). Central West End If I lived across the Bay in Berkeley or Oakland, I could swing by the local Tool Lending Library and get what I needed. Before the crowdfunding campaign, set up a bank account and getinsurance for the tool library. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. There are insurance companies (includingPhilidephia) that will provide general liability insurance to tool libraries and workshops for about $600 to $700 per year. You should survey the community to learn what is needed, said Homicki. On the downside, it doesn't incorporate Win Library Tool's more advanced features. While there can be risks to starting a tool library, and work in running it, the reward of building a community where everyone has affordable access to the tools and skills to fix, maintain and make things is incredibly rewarding. The key to getting support is to communicate the benefits of a localtool library. David Lang, something of a reluctant maker, is on a journey, intensively immersing himself in maker culture and learning as many DIY skills as he can, in part through a generous arrangement with our pals at TechShop. ShareStarter gathers and aggregates data from all subscribed libraries to put together a thourough understanding of the numbers behind the project and provide useful insights for project leaders and decision makers alike. [6] A variation of the tool lending library model exists in Atlanta, Georgia. Rhodes and Kane both point to a Google network that has helpful information from origin stories to long-term commitments. Follow@CatJohnson on Twitter. Tool libraries as a whole operate with a vision similar to that of the Tool Library in Buffalo, New York: Cost should never be a barrier to improving your home, garden, or broader community. The Buffalo tool library started because founder Daren Cotton found himself having to take on a lot of repairs in his apartment. A crowdfunding campaign is a burst of activity, communication and information. Share a cool tool or product with the community. All tool lending libraries are focused on increasing access to a wide range of tools. With crowdfunding campaigns, communication through web copy, social media, email and especially videois crucial. While they differ in specific features and goals, both of these systems allow you to manage members, inventory, loans, etc. The ModCon Living Tool Library makes available over 4,500 tools free of charge to both individuals and non-profit organizations. St. Louis Hills Need a folding table, a bar clamp, a circular saw, or a trowel? People will decide in a matter of seconds whether to leave or learn more. Funding How much does it cost to start a tool library? If the campaign is to expand anexisting tool library, howwill youexpand? Tool libraries are community organizations and taxpayers can provide essential support. But, Cyr notes, People are very responsible for the tools they borrow.. Youll likely find that tool libraries are more cost-efficient, and theyre also an opportunity to connect with and learn from people in your community. [4] This tool library was among many in what could be considered the first generation of tool libraries - including The Phinney Tool Library in 1978 and The Berkeley Tool Library in 1979[5] - most of which were founded in the late 70s or early 80s. And ours explodes with flowers and hugs! Baden The ToolBank tool inventory is not available to individuals. In response to that recognition, "Share Starter" began to offer a free "Tool Library Starter Kit" to any community interested in starting a lending library of their own.