The NE Seattle Tool Library provides free, community access to a wide variety of tools, training, and sustainable resources. Become a member now!
ABOUT
The NE Seattle Tool Library is a community-led project to provide pay-what-you-can community access to a wide range of tools, training, and advice. The Tool Library aims to inspire its community to participate in community projects such as park restorations, and pursue sustainability through fun projects like backyard gardens, home energy improvements, and water harvesting.
BENEFITS
- Leverage existing resources
- Reduce our environmental footprint
- Reduce consumption of tools used only once or twice
- Educate community members in proper use and maintenance of tools
- Enhance self-reliance and resilience
- Foster sense of community and mutual support
- Encourage repairing items instead of throwing them in the trash
- Encourage making products for ourselves instead of buying them from far away
- Lay a foundation for a Sharing Economy
BIKE SHACK
The NE Seattle Tool Library is happy to share space and partner with the Bike Shack, a volunteer-run, donation-funded community bike shop that helps people learn to fix their bikes and provides tools for community use. The Bike Shack welcomes everyone to come in and use their tools, ask questions, or check out used bikes or parts (available by donation). Participation in the Bike Shack does not require membership in the Tool Library.
SPONSORS AND OTHER PARTNERS
The NE Seattle Tool Library is a project of Sustainable NE Seattle and is supported by a grant from the Cleanscapes Waste Reduction Award Program, the generosity of the building’s owner, North Seattle Friends Church, and technical advice and support from the great folks at West Seattle Tool Library.
For more information, or to donate or volunteer, contact us at neseattletoollibrary@gmail.com.
Hi!
I am a member of Sustainable N.E.,and because of My location it is difficult to make many of these “outings”!!!
I really like the idea of this tool library,and have a suggestion for You1
I am not only proficient in the use of most hand tools,I can also repair and sharpen most hand tools.
I am volunteering to give a workshop where members could bring in broken and dull tools and I could repair them and explain My procedure as They watched!!!
It would be great for the members to learn to become more “self-sufficient”,while learning a valuable skill in the process!!!
Please let Me know what You think,as I feel it would be a wonderful way to kick off the tool library!!!
Thank You,
Brent C. Minard
(360) 799-0621
P.S. I REALLY like what You folks are doing here!!!!!!!
Brent:
That sounds fabulous! I would love to learn more about repairing and taking care of my tools.
Thanks.
Cindy
Met a few of you at the U-District Farmers Market today (Lee, Susan, and Joel?). Thanks so much for promoting this!
Was chatting about my desire to make homemade laundry detergent and have that be a group project because each batch makes 10 gallons – FAR more than I could use in any reasonable time frame. The tool the project requires that I don’t yet own is a paint paddle (5-gallon mixing capacity) that attaches to an electric drill. Have the drill, not the paddle.
Susan I think you mentioned the possibility of the Tool Library facility acquiring a stove at some point in the future. A stove would be necessary for this project as one of the detergent ingredients needs to be melted before blending. Just wanted to ‘cast my vote’ for a stove to be acquired whenever it is deemed feasible.
It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for your effort in making this possible in our neighborhood
Mary Watts
Hi Mary,
We are considering installing a stove in the Tool Library, so we would be able to do things like make big batches of laundry detergent, soap, jams and canned fruits, etc. Luckily the building has the wiring we need to do this. Keep your fingers crossed that an electric stove in good working order finds it’s way to us at some point. Early September would be perfect!
Susan G
I am a member of Sustainable NE Seattle although I have not yet made any meetings. I live in a condo with a small garden space on NE95th and I applaud and cheer your work, especially this new sharing venture.
I’m a retired hospital chaplain and I offer retreats and workshops–some of them focused on “Finding and Sharing Your Outer and Inner Resources” which seems relevant to your efforts. I believe in a gift economy and sharing circles and I think what Sustainable NE Seattle is doing is a perfect example of how evolving humans will learn to live together. Cheers and blessings and strong energy for us all!!! Trudy
Hi Trudy,
Thanks for the cheers and blessings! Sounds like you we are on the same page. The Tool Library will make sharing the resources we have among us that much easier to do. Hope to see you at a meeting or event soon!
Susan G
This is the first I’ve heard of this, but I love the idea.