Capitol Hill Tool Library

We are building a free, community run tool library. Community members will be able to check out tools and other useful things, use the workshop, take classes, and bring in items to get help fixing them. We hope that this will help people buy less, throw less stuff away, learn new skills, and meet their neighbors.

Before we open we need to build out and improve the space. We will build shelves to store all the great tools people will be checking out. We will also build the moveable work benches people will use when they come to work in the space. We will also be updating the bathroom to make it ADA compliant.

August:Finish design for bathroom, shelves, work benches, and storage area.

September: Buy materials. Work parties to build shelves, work benches, and remodel bathroom (with plumber's help of course).

October: Open tool library and workshop

Forever: Operate library to build community

We love our busy urban neighborhood, but living in small spaces presents unique challenges. We don't have room to store those useful things we need now and again but don't use regularly, like a circular saw, ice cream maker, or a table for twelve. Perhaps our small living  spaces help us see more easily a problem that all Americans face: it is wasteful and expensive for all of us to buy and own things that we don't regularly use. By sharing tools and other durable goods, we can shrink our environmental footprint (impact on the planet) while maintaining convenient access to things that make our lives better. Our vision for the library is broader than just sharing tools, however. We also want to provide a space where people can come together to work on projects and share skills and talents with one another. We want to build a strong and resilient community in the heart of Seattle's densest urban neighborhood.