Canberra is getting its first ever tool library

Most of us will have an assortment of power tools stored away in the shed or garage that come out for the odd job, but have you given any thought to whether it is actually worth owning them?

You may use your cordless drill a few times a year, but the saw horse and circular saw you bought to make the kids’ cubbyhouse or planter boxes are probably still sitting there waiting for the next project you are too busy to start.

Apparently the average drill gets used for just seven minutes a year.

On the other side of the tool ownership conundrum is people who either don’t have the means to purchase the tools to do jobs around the home, or the space.

Canberra’s new tool library, Community Toolbox Canberra, is just like a book library, but it loans out useful equipment such as hammers, drills, circular saws and angle grinders, and opens opportunities to borrow items beyond tools.

Community Toolbox Canberra will allow members to borrow items to build a chook pen, paddle down a river, make a feast and so much more.

Recently securing a suitable venue after a long search, Community Toolbox Canberra hopes to open its doors in September with the support of local sustainability organisation SEE-Change.

For the equivalent of buying one tool a year, members will be able to borrow a range of tools and equipment for DIY, craft, gardening and home projects and recreational activities as the library collection grows.

The tool library, located on the grounds of Youth With a Mission in Watson, is planning to launch after the COVID-19 lockdown ends.

Organising committee member Rebecca Tregurtha says a tool library is a much more affordable, and space and resource conscious way to create a shared pool of equipment.

“Everyone should have the means to create, try a new hobby or make their home more liveable,” she says. “But we shouldn’t need to buy and store all the associated equipment to make it happen.

“All throughout Canberra, tools and equipment are sitting in cupboards and sheds, with their owners wondering if they’ll ever use them again.

“The Community Toolbox Canberra will facilitate those items being available to the wider community, maximising their intensity of use. It will be an important part of Canberra’s sharing economy and provide members with annual access to a broad range of tools and equipment for what it would cost to buy one tool.”

Using the tried and tested library model that has been successful around the world, Community Toolbox Canberra will lend old and modern tools and equipment for craft, household and leisure activities.

There has been immense interest in the Community Toolbox Canberra project. The organising committee has raised almost $12,000 in crowdfunding – including a generous donation from the Bendigo Community Bank Canberra group – and will soon be accepting donations of good quality working tools and equipment.

“The money we have raised so far will be used to fit out the toolbox space, install signage and security, buy computer equipment and software to run the library, and contribute to the costs of maintaining and ensuring the safety of the equipment,” says Rebecca.

“In talking to our members-in-waiting, we have discovered that people don’t actually need tools, they need control over their living space, freedom to explore their creativity and independence to give a new skill a go.

“Most people don’t need a drill – they need a hole in the wall. They don’t need a sewing machine – they need to create. They don’t need a kayak – they need an adventure.

“We can save money, space and the planet’s resources by embracing the sharing economy and living more sustainably.”

If you would like to donate funds to help get the Community Toolbox Canberra up and running, visit Start Some Good.

For more information on membership or donating suitable items and equipment, visit Community Toolbox Canberra.