Meet the Tacoma Tool Library
Our Mission and Vision
The Tacoma Tool Library improves quality of life in the South Sound by providing tools, education, space, and support to cultivate self-sufficiency while reducing waste. Our work will lead to empowered individuals, increased involvement, reduced consumption, more entrepreneurship, better looking neighborhoods, a stronger sharing economy, and a more resilient community.
Tacoma Tool Library promotes environmental sustainability through shared resources, and promotes a sustainable community by maintaining a place for people to learn and engage each other in improvement projects. It encourages individuals who want to participate in waste reduction and care for their homes and neighborhoods, and also creates a community network that promotes sharing and mutual support.
Our Principles
The Tacoma Tool Library has developed the following “Principles of Action” that guide our work. We are committed to:
- Fostering a sense of community and mutual support
- Strengthening community resilience and self reliance
- Supporting inclusivity of participation and accessibility to tools, particularly for people with less economic resources and people who aren’t traditionally encouraged to use tools
- Prioritizing sustainability through waste prevention, reuse, repair, and re-purposing
- Encouraging skill building and empowerment through tool use and maintenance education
- Participating in the Sharing Economy
Tacoma Tool Library Staff
Lauren Manes – Program Coordinator and Tool Librarian
Marie Horan – Repair Coordinator
Board of Directors
Hayes Alexander III
As someone that usually has several projects in mind (if not in motion), Hayes likes to save money, cut down on excess stuff to store and maintain, and “try before he buys”. Hayes also wishes for everyone to have these opportunities, and so he enthusiastically works to sustain and maintain the Tool Library! Hayes got started with the Tacoma Tool Library in the fall of 2016, when he answered a call for volunteers needed to prepare the tool library to open to the public. Soon after Hayes became a member of the initial governance board and has since remained on the board. Hayes can be found volunteering as a fixer at weekly Fix-it Nights events, as a tool librarian at tool lending open hours, at workshops, and helping with community outreach at public events.
Jess Crask
Jess grew up in Tacoma helping her mom complete DIY and home repair projects, because of this she feels honored to have the skills to solve simple problems and help her friends along the way. Jess loves the Tacoma Tool Library because she is also passionate about engaging with community and closing resource gaps. During the week, you may find Jess guiding programming in Parks Tacoma. In her downtime, Jess enjoys the arts, competitive activities, PNW outdoors, being with her dog, and reading.
Yoshi Kumara
Yoshi’s favorite thing about the Tacoma Tool Library is that everyone who walks through the door has a figure-it-out attitude. Yoshi appreciates spending time with folks who want to work together to solve problems, whether they are here to work, volunteer, work on a project, or borrow tools. By day, Yoshi is an attorney with interests in land use and environmental law and policy. At night, when not hanging out at the Tool Library, Yoshi likes to spend time with her family and friends playing games, being outside, and bringing joy and frivolity to the world. Yoshi’s most checked out tool is a Dremel or rotary tool, which she uses to trim the nails of her two dogs.
Kera Nellor
Kera is learning what it means to be a first-time homeowner. She started off as a member of the tool library before realizing how big her knowledge gap was around tools. Kera began to volunteer during tool lending hours to learn more about how the community was using tools to improve their homes. Between hearing about the projects of her neighbors and watching old reruns of This Old House, she has been inspired to tackle DIY projects around her home. As a board member, Kera is excited about keeping the tool library open and available for the next generation of new homeowners.
Virginia Phelps
Virginia (they/them) has been volunteering with the Tool Library since July 2024, and joined the board in July 2025. Virginia grew up in a family of engineers, where headlamps and pliers are common holiday gifts, and everyone has their own pair of safety glasses. Their favorite hobbies are knitting, cross stitch, sewing, and crochet, but they have a lifelong love of power tools and all the fun things you can do with them. Virginia is a graduate of Tacoma Community College and UW Tacoma, and is also a two-term AmeriCorps alum. Virginia started volunteering at the Tool Library because they believe that everyone should have access to tools, and they think it’s silly that everyone is expected to own their own lawnmower. They kept volunteering because they love the spirit of generosity and community that surrounds the Tool Library.
Paul Prociv
Paul’s most favorite tool is the one he hasn’t used yet. Paul has been a member of the Tool Library since 2016, when he bought his first house and decided to turn his flooded and unfinished basement into a full apartment. Thanks Tool Library!
He loves DIY-ing and fixing. “If the machine produces tranquility, it’s right. If it disturbs you it’s wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.” (Robert Persig)
This love of building and repairing is only exceeded by his passion for civic education. He has spent most of his career in education and nonprofits. He currently works training and evaluating election administrators with Washington’s Secretary of State. Paul sees every member interaction as an opportunity to learn and build the community we are searching for.
Kyla Wilson
Kyla was inspired to become involved in the Tacoma Tool Library after learning about our waste system and alternative solutions to individual consumption. She started volunteering as a tool librarian in March 2022. Now Kyla is a board member, chair of the operations committee, leads tool lending open hours at least once a month and helps with community outreach. Kyla has a BS in Environmental Science and an MS in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science. She works as a lead planner at Pierce County working on implementing Pierce County’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan: Sustainability 2030. “I feel very lucky to serve my community and work in a field where I can help create a better, more sustainable future for us all to thrive in.”
Thank you for the support!
The Tacoma Tool Library is a community-supported project that sustains itself through a combination of membership fees, individual donations, and grants for operational support and special projects.
The Tacoma Tool Library has been generously funded by:
