Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
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General questions
What's a tool library?
We’re just like a regular library, but with tools instead of books.
The Tacoma Tool Library provides low-cost access to shared tools and other durable goods and encourages re-use, repair, and reduced consumption. In addition, it hosts a safe community space for learning how to use household tools, and empowers local residents to care for their homes and neighborhoods, house by house and block by block.
Where are you located?
Our street address is 1100 Court F, Tacoma. This is at the corner of 11th and Court F, the alley behind the main branch of the Tacoma Public Library.
We are located on the second floor of the main branch of the Tacoma Public Library building, but we have a separate entrance, and different hours.
When the public library is open, you can also get to us from the main library space by taking the stairs or elevator up to the second floor.
How can I get involved?
You can become a member, learn about volunteering with us, participate in our weekly Fix-it Night and Make It Sew programs, and donate to help keep us running.
Membership
How do I borrow tools?
To borrow tools, you need to become a member of the Tacoma Tool Library. Go to our membership page to learn more about membership and to sign up.
How much does it cost?
We ask that members pay what they can, in order to keep the library running, but no one is turned away for lack of funds. See more on the membership page.
Note that we do not require any proof of income level to access the sliding scale option. Just choose the “sliding scale” option, and pay what you can.
Who can join?
We believe everyone should have access to the Tacoma Tool Library, regardless of income level. See the membership page for more information on our suggested donation levels.
Members must be 18 years or older.
You do not need to live in Tacoma or Pierce County.
Do I need ID?
The first time you borrow tools, you will be asked to show ID.
- The ID must show your birth date.
- The ID does NOT need to have the same first name that you use on your account, or that you use in person. That is, you can use a nickname or another name when you create your account.
- If the name you use is significantly different than the name on your ID, you may want to create the account with the name on your ID, and then change it in your account after we check your ID the first time.
- We do NOT care about the gender marker on the ID.
What kinds of tools do you have?
It’s easier to explain what we don’t have: we do not have any gas-powered tools.
Search or browse our inventory of almost 4,000 tools to find what you need!
I joined a long time ago. Am I still a member?
If you joined TTL in the past, your membership information is still on file, but may be expired.
Rather than creating a new account, try logging in to our system to renew your membership.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need assistance. We can help with resending email confirmation links, resetting your password, and updating your contact information.
Tool lending
How long can I borrow tools for?
The loan period is two weeks for most of our items.
The load period is one week for electric garden equipment (including lawn mowers, string trimmers, chain saws, hedge trimmers, and more).
Can I renew my loan and keep the tools longer?
Usually, yes.
Exceptions:
- Electric garden equipment (one-week rental items) can’t be renewed.
- If someone else has reserved the tool, it can’t be renewed.
You can renew your tools yourself in myTurn on your loans page until their due date.
Once the tools have become overdue, you can’t renew them yourself. If you would like to renew overdue tools, simply reply to the automated email informing you of your tool due date, and ask for a renewal.
How many items can I check out at one time?
You can check out up to ten items at once, but only five of them can be power tools.
What if I don't get my items back in time? Do you charge late fees?
We don’t charge late fees for most items.
When tools are late or overdue, other community members can’t access them. Please do your best to be a responsible member of our lending community and bring items back on time, clean, and with all parts!
This tool says "CARD REQUIRED" -- what does that mean?
“Card required” items are a little different than everything else.
You’ll notice them because the tool ID number starts with CR- and the tool name includes “CARD REQUIRED.”
- First-time borrowers can’t borrow these items.
- Members must have a debit or credit card on file in our system to check out these items.
- A late fee of $5 per TTL open day will be charged to your card if the item is not returned on time, for a maximum of $15 of late fees.
- If the item has not been returned after 7 calendar days (1 week), your card will be charged the full replacement cost of the item. The replacement cost should be listed in each “Card Required” item’s description in our catalog.
- If you return the item after being charged the replacement cost, TTL can refund the replacement cost, but not the late fee.
To add or update your card on file, go to your account > Payment Method.
Note: you do not need a card on file to reserve these items. If you are getting an error trying to reserve a “Card Required” item, something else is going wrong.
What if a tool breaks?
When tools break from regular use, the member is not penalized.
When tools break due to misuse or anything other than regular wear-and-tear, we ask the member to replace it with a new or comparable used item, or to contribute what they can towards the replacement cost. But no one is turned away or penalized for lack of funds. So if someone says they can only contribute a small amount, or can’t contribute anything, we believe them.
Regardless of why something breaks, we also try to fix items when we can — we have a great crew of volunteer fixers who can come up with some pretty creative solutions!
And when items can’t be repaired, we take them apart as much as possible so that we can responsibly dispose of the different parts. Metal goes to the metal recycling center, plastics to the correct recycling bins, etc. — plus we keep any parts that will be useful for repairing other tools in the future.
I can't find what I'm looking for
We know the system can be hard to use! Some tips about searching our inventory:
- All of our tools have images to help show what the tool is.
- Try different search terms or narrow your search using item types or categories in the left column on the inventory page.
- We try to avoid using brand names or nicknames for tools in the tool name, but you can still search for some of these common terms as keywords. For example, we use the name “rotary tool” instead of the brand name “dremel” — but if you search “dremel,” you will still find all our rotary tools, even the ones that aren’t Dremel brand.
Are tool reservations required?
No, reservations are not required. You can come browse in person and pick items up without a reservation.
However, for power tools and especially electric garden tools, a reservation is highly recommended — otherwise, the tool you want may not be available when you come in.
I missed pickup! What happens now?
You get two open days to pick up your reservation. That is, if you missed your first pickup day, you can come on our next open day.
If you miss two pickup opportunities, we will cancel your reservation so the tools are available for other community members.
Can my partner/roommate/relative/friend pick up my tools for me?
Yes — as long as they are also a member of the TTL.
Anyone physically taking tools must create a TTL membership — that is how we ensure that they have agreed to our liability and lending policies.
However, the second person does not need to pay for a membership. They can select the sliding scale option and set it to $0.
For roommates, partners, or others who want to regularly pick up each others’ tools, we suggest you add each others’ names in the “Secondary Info” section of your account in myTurn. If you cross-list each other, both accounts will show up no matter which name we search. (Unfortunately, myTurn doesn’t allow more than one other person added under “Secondary info.”)