Harrisburg Tool Library
When it comes to neighbors helping neighbors, a new community group hopes its initiative will hit the nail on the head.
The Harrisburg Tool Library will hold an open house on Oct. 17 on the 1300-block of N. 3rd St., with plans to bring a big-city concept to the community in hopes of easing access to equipment.
“It kind of just came together as a group of five people who were just interested in the project,” said Veronica Adams, one of the board members. “Tools are something that provide sustainability to people who own households.”
The tool library is not yet open to the public and does not have a grand opening date set, but organizers hope to get people into their space to see their vision and bring tools to donate.
The tool library, at 1314 N. 3rd St., will be just what it sounds like—a place where locals can rent equipment for projects, home repairs, gardening and creative work. The initiative is aimed at making it affordable for people to obtain tools and use them as needed.
Memberships will be required for renting tools, and the library will allow people to select how much they are able to pay for the membership, from $0 to $100 per year.
Adams sees the library as being beneficial to renters and homeowners, and useful to those with limited space for storing large tools, lower-income community members, and to those who may only need a specific tool for one project.
The team was inspired to open a library in Harrisburg after seeing successful examples in cities like Baltimore, Portland and even locally, as Carlisle has a small tool library.
“It’s kind of like a library economy, which is a subset of community organizing culture, that aims to make sustainable systems and accessible resources available to the community through a library structure,” Adams said.
The team is collecting inventory through tool drives and donations and plans to hold annual fundraisers to support the library’s operation.
Most of the board members and people who will staff the location will have construction experience and knowledge of repairs, and they plan to eventually host workshops.
The housewarming party will take place during 3rd in the Burg, from 5 to 8 p.m., and include guided tours, tool demonstrations, refreshments and opportunities to sign up for memberships.
“Like any good housewarming, this event is about opening our doors, welcoming neighbors, and celebrating the idea that when we share resources, we all thrive,” said tool library founding board member Kate Lally. “We’re excited to show Harrisburg what’s possible when tools meet community.”
For more information on the Harrisburg Tool Library, visit their website.
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