Be honest: how many times have you bought a tool for a home project, used it once, and stashed it away in your garage, never to be seen again? The Minnesota Tool Library is trying to buck this trend, with an eye on reducing waste, building community, and providing access to necessary tools.
A tool library is exactly what it sounds like: a library full of tools! But nobody is shushing you when you walk inside. Instead you’ll hear power tools whirring, garden tools clanging as volunteers restock, and members chatting away about their latest project.
This is the place you come to for tips, training, and of course, tools. Members pay an annual fee and can borrow tools, take discounted classes, and use the workshop space. The Minnesota Tool Library has two branches: one in Northeast Minneapolis in the Thorp Building, and another in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood in the Prior Works Building.
Rethos is proud to partner with the Tool Library. We’ve hosted a handful of homeowner classes in their workshop space. We tell all our class attendees to become members, because honestly, how cool is that?!
Most recently, we co-created a
six-part home maintenance series hosted at the Tool Library. Students learned about basic plumbing repairs, electrical systems, painting and trim, and wall repair tips from a licensed contractor. By hosting the classes in the Tool Library’s workshop space, students can see what tools they need first-hand, and our instructor can easily demonstrate basic repairs.
We look forward to more collaboration with the Tool Library, a brilliant local resource for every homeowner & DIYer. To find out more and become a member, head to the Tool Library’s website: mntoollibrary.org.
Find our full line-up of workshops here: rethos.org/classes.