The West Philly Tool Library is moving, and asking for help
The library, which lets its members access thousands of household tools, must move out of its current home by the end of November.
The West Philly Tool Library, where members can borrow from several thousand different tools and attend classes learning how to use them, is moving from its home of the past 15 years.
Its landlord on South 47th Street near Woodland Avenue has chosen not to renew its lease, and the library will have to move by the end of November.
Executive director Jason R. Sanders said that the tool library has been receiving below-market-rate rent since moving in and that the organization was not upset with its landlord for raising the rent beyond what the tool library could afford.
“We’re very grateful and want to dispel that,” Sanders said.
The tool library’s leadership is scouting options for a new home. Wherever the library goes, it will likely need to perform repairs and retrofitting before it can open again. Sanders said that work plus moving costs would likely exceed $50,000.
The library has called for donations through an online fundraiser with the goal of reaching $20,000, and is already roughly three-quarters of the way there. (The link is available at westphillytools.org.)
Asking for money is something Sanders and the library have always sought to avoid. They run a purposefully tight operation, with $20 annual memberships, volunteer staff, and minimal grant funding.
Sanders said the organization started in 2007 as a few friends who shared tools with their neighbors to make DIY home repairs. They never imagined to have the reach the library does now, with over 1,300 active members and even more coming through its classes.
The library offers nearly every kind of household tool imaginable, from mundane screwdrivers and pliers to jackhammers and power washers. Its classes teach attendees about plumbing and electrical work, as well as sewing and date-night woodworking projects. It aims to help people live more safely and healthily in their homes, Sanders said.
“We want to live within our means and support the community with the support we receive. So it’s kind of an unprecedented thing for us to ask for that, and I think people understand that we’re asking in a time of need,” Sanders said.
Sanders said that particularly over the last few years, the library has become a sort of “community hub” that means more to West Philly than just a place you can grab a hammer.
“It blows me away,” Sanders said about the support the library has received.
Beginning later this week, the library will host volunteer days for those willing to help prepare for their move. The library is also accepting donated construction materials for renovations like drywall and wiring.
The tool library is hosting a fundraiser event on Oct. 25, with pumpkin carving, food and drink, and a raffle from local businesses and artists.