Why buy when you can borrow? New Charlottetown Tool Library to launch in June

Charlottetown residents looking to do some fix-it projects or yard work this summer will soon have a new place to turn for tools.

The Charlottetown Tool Library is scheduled to open the first weekend in June.

• Living walls, fix-it workshops, and a piano: Charlottetown micro-grant recipients
• Charlottetown group hopes to start makerspace in city

"A tool library is basically as simple as it sounds," said Daniel Cousins, president and co-founder of Charlottetown Tool Library.

"We're a library of tools and equipment and resources that people can borrow."

It's more than tools. For a yearly fee of $60, members can borrow everything from gardening tools, photography equipment, cooking tools to power tools.

'I can borrow it'

Cousins reports there is growing interest every day in what the Charlottetown Tool Library will offer.

"People finding out oh, I need a drill, I don't have to spend $150 on just a drill, I can borrow it," he said.

"The small homes movement loves this idea," he explained, as do apartment dwellers, new home owners, and a lot of young people who "just can't afford those tools."

Loans are normally three days, with some items having a longer loan time due to the nature of what they are needed for.

And there is a generational element to the appeal of the Tool Library.

"We've gone through basically being told buy, buy, buy and we're millennials, we're poor, poor, poor," said Cousins.

"I can say that, I'm a millennial and I've seen my student debt."

Halifax experience

David Stonham, co-founder of the Charlottetown Tool Library volunteered last year at the Halifax Tool Library.

"Signing up new members was always a great because everyone seemed to recognize the value of borrowing rather than owning their tools," said Stonham, who just graduated from the Environment and Sustainability program in the Geography Department at UBC.

"Why should I buy something that costs $150 that I'm only going to use for five minutes versus borrowing it."

"We moved into a bigger space while I was there in April 2016, and I believe they are already growing out of that space and looking for the next location to expand into."

Stonham heard about a wide variety of projects from the members in Halifax.

"I found it fascinating to hear about everyone's projects and to help people find the tools that would help them to complete these great projects," he said.

Share stuff

There is also a green aspect to the concept.

Lessening the environmental footprint is part of the appeal of the Charlottetown Tool Library for Pauline Howard of Food Exchange P.E.I., a grassroots volunteer organization concerned about food security. 

"From a sustainability point of view it just makes sense to reduce consumption," said Howard.

"For people in the community to share stuff rather than everyone having to purchase their own stuff that they may only need from time to time."

The team from the Tool Library will be part of an upcoming Food Exchange event called Herb Day, which will feature a garden tool tune up — for sharpening and oiling and repairing garden tools.

"Having a tool library would also allow people access to tools so they have the option to fix things rather than throw things in the landfill and purchase new stuff," added Howard.

Canadian successes

The tool library movement started in Toronto and has now spread to many cities across Canada. Cousins said most of the tool libraries have been instant successes and have had to add locations or expand within three years.

The plan, said Cousins, is for the Tool Library to eventually become part of something called the Charlottetown Makerspace.

"A Makerspace is very similar to a tool library," he said.

"You get access to the equipment, the knowledge but there's more materials and actually a space to work."

Looking for donations

Cousins graduates this month from the Marketing and Advertising program at Holland College, where he worked on the tool library as a class project. He and treasurer Stonham operate the Charlottetown Tool Library as a non-profit organization.

The tool library received a $2,500 community sustainability micro-grant from the City of Charlottetown.

Finding a home for the tool library has been one of the biggest challenges. The team is actively looking at spaces, and hopes to secure one in the next few weeks.

"Finding something within our budget and a size we can manage," said Cousins.

"We also need to encourage some more people to join our team as volunteers, so there's a lot more to do, even if we don't find the space as soon as we'd like," said Stonham.

While some of the tools are new, others are from second-hand stores and donations and they're looking for more.

"We've had a few people step forward and say, we have tools for you, we love this idea, we want these tools to go to a good use."

The Tool Library team is finalizing the membership cards and, if they find the location they need, hope to be open the weekend of June 3 and 4, which also marks the start of Global Sharing Week. 

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Connecting resources: A new approach for helping out with complex problems
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Look out! Islander now member of national dodgeball squad