Discovering Vancouver’s Tool Library and Where you can Find Your Own Local Tool Library

I was recently out for lunch in a new-to-me neighbourhood and stumbled across the Vancouver Tool Library. As I’d just been talking about some DIY renovations and tasks that would involve tools I don’t own, this was quite a welcome find!

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how my life has become more sustainable by moving to the city and a find like the Vancouver Tool Library is definitely another thing to add to that list.

What is a Tool Library?

A tool library is a similar concept to the book libraries we are familiar with. It is a place where you can borrow tools with a membership. Every tool library will offer different items, but there are always a large variety to choose from. Generally these tool libraries are run by non-profits, cooperatives, or government resources, such as within an existing traditional library.

View this post on Instagram

Why Tool Libraries are Important

Tool Libraries are an important way to support a borrowing economy and circular economy. Our need to continually buy things is detrimental to our planet. The waste for new products is generated on multiple levels–from manufacturing emissions, transportation emissions, packaging, and the products themselves. Borrowing is an incredibly easy way to eliminate this waste from our lives completely.

Krista recently wrote about items that should probably always be borrowed not purchased and I’ve previously written about how our need to shop is ruining our planet. Both ideas focus on how living with less stuff not only lightens our lives, but also helps protect our planet. Read the posts here:

Borrow, swap, rent: 10 things you probably don’t need to own

How Our Need to Shop is Ruining Our Planet

Where it is and what they offer

The Vancouver Tool Library is located at 3448 Commercial Street, Vancouver BC.

They offer a wide variety of tools including:

• hand tools
• power tools
• garden equipment like lawn mowers and hedge trimmers
• ladders and extension cords
• DIY items like sewing machines
• Kitchen items like a food dehydrator

You can browse their full inventory here: https://vancouvertoollibrary.com/library/

How to use it

To use the Vancouver Tool Library, you first have to become a Co-Op member and pay their annual maintenance fee. The Co-op fee is a one time membership cost that is returned to you when you choose to end your membership. Currently the co-op fee is $20. The membership fee is an annual fee. The current standard rate is $55 per year but they do offer sliding scale fees for those who need it.

Outside of that, the tool library operates very much like a regular library. You can call and place items on hold, you check items out under your name and you have the item for a certain number of days, you can renew the item if you are not finished with it, and if you don’t return it on time then you’ll pay a late fee.

A full explanation of how to borrow tools and various costs associated these, check out their Borrowing Tools FAQ.

How to get involved

Becoming a member of the Vancouver Tool Library doesn’t have to stop at borrowing tools. There are opportunities to volunteer at the library, to host workshops for the community, and even to serve on their board of directors. This is just another example of how a sustainable lifestyle also helps to foster community.

Find your local Tool Library

There are tool libraries all across Canada, so hopefully there is a local one you can borrow from!

Here is a list in various provinces to help you find your own local tool library.

Library	Location	Website
Cranston Tool Library	Calgary, AB	Website
Calgary Tool Library	Calgary, AB	Website
Edmonton Tool Library	Edmonton, AB	Website
Vancouver Tool Library	Vancouver, BC	Website
Victoria Tool Library	Victoria, BC	Website
Tool Lending Library RDN	Nanaimo, BC	Website
The SHED Comox Valley Tool Library	Courtenay / Comox Valley, BC	Website
Gabriola Tool Library	Gabriola Island, BC	Website
The Sunshine Coast Tool Library	Roberts Creek, BC	Website
Bulkley Valley Tool Library	Smithers, BC	Website
Food Hub Tool Library	Kaslo, BC	Website
Whistler Tool Library	Whistler, BC	Website
ArtsJunktion Tool Lending Library	Winnipeg, MB	Website
Guelph Tool Library	Guelph, ON	Website
Toronto Tool Library	Toronto, ON	Website
West End Tool Library	Toronto, ON	Website
Ottawa Tool Library	Ottawa, ON	Website
Cornwall Tool Library	Cornwall, ON	Website
Kawartha Tool Library	Peterborough, ON	Website
Orillia Public Library – Library of Things	Orillia, ON	Website
York Region Lendery	York Region, ON	Website
Halifax Tool Library and Workshop	Halifax, NS	Website
St. John’s Tool Library	St. John’s, NL	Website
La Remise	Montréal, QC	Website
Atelier La Patente	Québec City, QC	Website
Bibli’Outils	Gatineau, QC	Website
Saint John Tool Library & DIY Centre	Saint John, NB	Website
PEI Tool Library	Charlottetown, PEI	Website
PEI Public Library	Prince Edward Island region	Website

Let’s keep in touch! Sign up to receive email updates from A Sustainably Simple Life below:

We’d love to add you to our monthly email list! Send us an email with “Subscribe” in the subject line to asustainablysimplelife [at] gmail.com or fill out the form here: Subscribe to A Sustainably Simple Life

You can unsubscribe at any time.