It's like a library, but instead of books you can check out tools!
The Asheville Tool Library will provide tools at low or no cost to citizens and local community organizations in addition to low or no cost educational classes enabling members to become deeper engaged in home maintenance and repair, bike and automotive repair, garden projects, community work days, hands on educational classes, art projects, creative experimentation, business incubation, projects just for fun, as well as countless other things.
About co-founders Nick, Julian and Tom:
Nick Letts worked as a site manager for an urban demonstration project that housed a tool library for 18 months culminating in 2007. Starting a tool library in Asheville has been a project on the back of his mind since that time but it never got much further than a casual conversation. In the fall of 2012 Nick started a permaculture apprenticeship with Zev Friedman and Dylan Rylas-Hamilton and was blessed with co-apprentice, great friend, and co-founder of the ATL Julian Dominic who quickly partnered on a community donation garden that Julian was just breaking ground on called Charlotte Got Crops. Over the next few weeks they recognized their own need for tools as well as hearing similar stories from many people involved in community projects. It became clear they had identified a need in the community and had a solution that benefits everyone of every race, economic status, age, sexual orientation etc. in our community. Ultimately the biggest tool we will ever have is the ability to build community and the ATL is one tool in that toolbox. Enter Tom Llewellyn. With an extensive history of organizing on local and national levels with REAL Cooperative and Sustainable Living Roadshow Tom brings great energy and desire for change along with an experienced point of view that leaves our team confident and ready to guide this project into the future as a leader for a new western NC.