On the house
Tool Library welcomes borrowers in Columbus
Sunday,
October 18, 2009 3:34 AM
KATIE MILLER | Dispatch
David Koscielak, program assistant at Rebuilding Together in Columbus, restocks warehouse shelves with recently returned tools. Katie Miller | Dispatch
Gary Champion of Columbus loads a sander onto the bed of his truck during a stop at the tool library. Tool libraryThe Columbus Tool Library, 2771 E. 4th Ave., is open from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays. For details, call 614-258-6392 or visit www.rtcolumbus.org.
You won't find the latest Dan Brown novel at the 4th Avenue library, but you can pick up a
propane torch head and sliding T-bevel there.
In fact, there's not a book, compact disc or DVD in sight; but if you need an auger bit, jigsaw or wallpaper steamer, this is the place for you. Tucked into the end of an East Side warehouse, the Columbus Tool Library might be one of the city's best-kept secrets. Its 4,500 tools stand ready for the borrowing -- free -- to most Columbus residents (sorry, suburbanites). The city founded the library 32 years ago using federal money. But financing for the library became strained, as all public finances have, and this year the city turned the library over to the nonprofit home-repair group Rebuilding Together. Despite the library's longevity, its managers think many residents remain unaware of the service. Two weeks ago, they sponsored a grand reopening of the only tool library in the state and one of about 30 in the nation. "We've got keyhole saws, hacksaws, coping saws, jigsaws," said Julie Smith, executive director of Rebuilding Together. "Augers are popular, and floor sanders, electric mowers -- and, lately, a lot of people have wanted wallpaper steamers. "For months, we couldn't figure out what this was," she said, holding up a black crowbar-like device with a pivoting head. It turned out to be an extended steel-jawed nail puller. Someone else apparently was familiar with the device: The nail puller has been borrowed. Library use overall, Smith said, is increasing little by little. "We expected the users to be mostly low-income, and the bulk of them are," she said. "But a lot of people are catching on that it's here -- especially a lot of single women." The library has more than 4,000 members, including 1,000 active users. This year, through September, the library loaned 3,043 tools to 933 individuals and 1,946 tools to 98 nonprofit groups. The bad news lies in the reason that library use is up: The lousy economy has made it harder for many borrowers to afford the tools and given some laid-off homeowners time they didn't necessarily want to work on the house. In light of the economy, tool libraries, indeed, seem an old idea whose time is now. New tools are out of reach financially for many people, and foreclosed homes in need of some care are being snapped up by owners who can use help bringing them back to life. Sandy and Lawrence Gitonga have been regular customers at the library since buying an as-is foreclosed home last year on the Hilltop. The two have redone the kitchen, top to bottom, and continue to spruce up the rest of the home. Last week, Mrs. Gitonga stopped by to pick up a rototiller and rakes for a landscaping project. "We're here a lot -- maybe every two weeks -- getting something," she said. "It's amazing. We didn't know the services were free. We've saved hundreds, hundreds of dollars borrowing. . . . We would not have been able to do this without the library." Another regular, James Venable, dropped by the same day, also to borrow a few rakes. He has used dozens of tools for drywalling, painting, roofing and landscaping while repairing his Olde Towne East home. In addition to the rakes, Venable was hoping to borrow a chain saw during his visit, but the high-risk tool is one of a handful the library doesn't stock. Smith keeps a growing list of tools the library does hope to add, including gasoline-operated power washers, wet saws and leaf blowers. Smith has other goals for the library: She would like to open satellite locations and get a truck rolling for tool delivery and pickup. The truck sits ready to go in the warehouse, complete with the words "Mobile Tool Library" splashed on its side. But it lacks a driver and money for fuel. Smith says many middle-class residents use the service, but most of the customers would have a hard time affording the tools they borrow. "Tool renting costs too much for me, and I couldn't keep the tools long enough," Venable said. "I hope this stays around forever." Jim Weiker writes about real estate and housing for The Dispatch. Story toolsToday’s Top Stories
|
|