Why own when you can share? At Edinburgh Tool Library you can borrow tools from our inventory of thousands of them. Don’t know how to use them? No problem! We bring members together to build and learn by sharing skills and knowledge.
Covid-19 update
We are open!
Following current government guidelines, all locations are now open as usual. We will continue to wear masks, wash our hands and practice social distancing where possible.
Support us
We continue to share tools and knowledge, but we know hard economic times are ahead for the voluntary sector and the rest of the country. Please consider adopting a tool to help secure our long-term future.
How does the tool library work?
As well as borrowing tools to use at home, members can access our workshops several times a week, usually evenings and weekends. We have two wood workshops in Leith and Portobello, two storage units, a pop up location and an electric van.
Return
Take them back, clean and on time, ready for the next borrower.
Participate
Join in classes, open sessions or events. Volunteers are always welcome!
We do much more!
Additional services
Tool Sharpening & Renovation It goes without saying that part of the Edinburgh Tool Library ethos is to make tools last. We make the most of our tools by sharing them, and…
Tool Delivery
Edinburgh Tool Library is joining forces with Farr Out Deliveries to deliver our tools straight to your door, and back again. Tools ordered from our Leith location can be delivered to you…
Advice for new sharing libraries
So… you’re thinking of setting up a sharing library? That’s a brilliant idea! Probably the best one you’ve had this week at the very least ツIt’s a brilliant and simple idea. Chris…
Why buy when you can share?
The average cordless electric drill is used for just 13 minutes during its lifetime, yet most households own one and spend an average of £110 per year on DIY tools (Office of National Statistics). That’s a waste of money and waste of a tool.
We share tools in order to maximise the number of times each tool is used, reduce waste, and make access to tools affordable for everyone.
If we all share what we have to offer, we all become richer.
- Save money – Tools are expensive and not everyone can afford them. Whether you’ve got a shelf to put up, renovations to complete, or a space to transform, you will save money by borrowing tools from a tool library rather than buying tools yourself. In our first 5 years, we saved our members £875,000 compared to what they would have spent on the tools they borrowed.
- Save space – Using the tool library means you don’t need to worry about where to store tools you’ve bought.
- Be kind to the planet – If a drill is used for just 13 minutes of its lifetime and spends the rest of its time collecting dust somewhere, why not share it with your neighbours? By using less and sharing more, the Tool Library helps us all save on the packaging, water, fuel and rare earth minerals that go into producing each tool.
- Better communities – When you become a member, you become part of a wider community. We run many workshops and programs to help people empower themselves with the knowledge they need to use tools themselves.
