Borrowing center

Last updated

A borrowing center, borrowing shop, borrowing bar, item library or library of things is a library of household items and tools, usually organized as a volunteer cooperative, nonprofit organization, or operated by the local public library. [1] [2]

Contents

Borrowing centers are part of the sharing economy, which was termed in 1984 by Harvard economist Martin Weitzman. [3] In contrast to a rental store, which offers many of the same items, borrowing centres are operated on a non-profit or collective basis.

The concept of a borrowing center is not new. [4] Historically some public libraries have offered items beyond print and audio-visual media, such as toys. [5] The concept is also similar to toy libraries, which have existed since at least 1935, and tool libraries.

One of the better-known borrowing centers is the Sharing Depot in Toronto, Canada.

Similar Terms/Concepts

Borrowing center is not a popular term to be used, Tools Library shares the same or similar functions and concept as borrowing center and this term has been used more often. The concept of opening tools library is to provide tools which are not daily necessity and to promote the idea of sharing with others. Also it is an sustainable action to save resources on earth.

Borrowing Centers All Over the World

North America

Tools Library has a very high popularity in the United States, especially in the West Coast, and there is a website “Find Your Local Tool Lending Library - Local Tools”, which you can find closest Tools Library to you.

1.Tool Library in Berkeley, USA

The First Tool Library started in 1979 in Berkeley, California, and now there are more than 40 tool libraries in North America. [6]

2.Tool Lending library in Oakland, USA

Tool Lending Library offers all kinds of practical tools as well as books, videos and DVDs. And it is free to Oakland, Emeryville, and Piedmont residents and property owners. [7]

3.Sharing Depot in Toronto, Canada

The Sharing Depot has been called as Canada's First library of things and it was opened in 2016. [8]

Europe

Through a screenshot from the live “Map of Tool Libraries and Libraries of Things” at Localtools.org, borrowing center is much less common in Europe than in North America. And the reason why there are fewer borrowing center in Europe is unsolved. [9]

Asia

There is merely no this kind of centers in Asian counties, so there is a potential market to develop borrowing centers in Asian countries.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do it yourself</span> Building, modifying, or repairing, without the aid of experts or professionals

"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi-raw materials and parts to produce, transform, or reconstruct material possessions, including those drawn from the natural environment ". DIY behavior can be triggered by various motivations previously categorized as marketplace motivations, and identity enhancement.

Interlibrary loan is a service that enables patrons of one library to borrow physical materials and receive electronic documents that are held by another library. The service expands library patrons' access to resources beyond their local library's holdings, serving as "an integral element of collection development" for libraries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardware store</span> Store that sells household hardware for home improvement

Hardware stores, sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for use at home or for business. Many hardware stores have specialty departments unique to its region or its owner's interests. These departments include hunting and fishing supplies, plants and nursery products, marine and boating supplies, pet food and supplies, farm and ranch supplies including animal feed, swimming pool chemicals, homebrewing supplies and canning supplies. The five largest hardware retailers in the world are The Home Depot, Lowe's, Kingfisher of the United Kingdom, Obi of Germany, and Leroy Merlin of France.

A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, is a revolving type of secured loan in which the lender agrees to lend a maximum amount within an agreed period, where the collateral is the borrower's property. Because a home often is a consumer's most valuable asset, many homeowners use their HELOC for major purchases or projects, such as home improvements, education, property investment or medical bills, and choose not to use them for day-to-day expenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temescal, Oakland, California</span> Neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda, California, United States

Temescal is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Oakland, California, located in North Oakland, and centered on Telegraph Avenue. The neighborhood derives its name from Temescal Creek, a significant watercourse in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooperative banking</span> Type of retail or commercial bank organized cooperatively

Cooperative banking is retail and commercial banking organized on a cooperative basis. Cooperative banking institutions take deposits and lend money in most parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkeley Public Library</span> United States historic place

The Berkeley Public Library is the public library system for Berkeley, California. It consists of the Central Library, Claremont Branch, North Branch, West Branch, Tarea Hill Pittman South Branch, and the Tool Lending Library, which is one of the nation's first such libraries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackerspace</span> Community-operated physical space for people with common interests

A hackerspace is a community-operated, often "not for profit", workspace where people with common interests, such as computers, machining, technology, science, digital art, or electronic art, can meet, socialize, and collaborate. Hackerspaces are comparable to other community-operated spaces with similar aims and mechanisms such as Fab Lab, men's sheds, and commercial "for-profit" companies.

Do-it-yourself biology is a biotechnological social movement in which individuals, communities, and small organizations study biology and life science using the same methods as traditional research institutions. DIY biology is primarily undertaken by individuals with limited research training from academia or corporations, who then mentor and oversee other DIY biologists with little or no formal training. This may be done as a hobby, as a not-for-profit endeavour for community learning and open-science innovation, or for profit, to start a business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maker culture</span> Community interested in do-it-yourself technical pursuits

The maker culture is a contemporary subculture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture that intersects with hardware-oriented parts of hacker culture and revels in the creation of new devices as well as tinkering with existing ones. The maker culture in general supports open-source hardware. Typical interests enjoyed by the maker culture include engineering-oriented pursuits such as electronics, robotics, 3-D printing, and the use of computer numeric control tools, as well as more traditional activities such as metalworking, woodworking, and, mainly, its predecessor, traditional arts and crafts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tool library</span> Lending library for tools

A tool library is an example of a library of things. Tool libraries allow patrons to check out or borrow tools, equipment and "how-to" instructional materials, functioning either as a rental shop, with a charge for borrowing the tools, or more commonly free of charge as a form of community sharing. A tool library performs the following main tasks:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seed library</span>

A seed library is an institution that lends or shares seed. It is distinguished from a seedbank in that the main purpose is not to store or hold germplasm or seeds against possible destruction, but to disseminate them to the public which preserves the shared plant varieties through propagation and further sharing of seed.

The Kitchen Library was the first non-profit lending library of kitchen appliances in Canada. Since opening its doors inside the Toronto Tool Library in October 2013, The Kitchen Library received local, national, and international media attention and community support. The Kitchen Library moved to Yonge and Eglinton in October 2014 where they lent appliances and taught workshops. It closed September 1, 2016.

Toronto Tool Library (TTL) is a tool library system based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Tool libraries loan specialized tools for both experienced and inexperienced community members who are interested in home repair, maintenance, building projects, community projects, gardening and landscaping. In The Kitchen Library, small to medium-sized appliances are loaned for cooking and baking, serving equipment, culinary workshops. It partnered with the Toronto Public Library in 2015.

Halifax Tool Library (HTL) is a tool lending library based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Members pay an annual subscription and may borrow specialized tools for home repair, maintenance, building projects, community projects, gardening and landscaping. The HTL is a registered Non Profit community organization in Nova Scotia. The HTL offers standard, Student/Low-Income option, and organizational memberships to non-profits and small businesses. The HTL is supported by the HRM Capital Grant program, Dalhousie University student union, the Veith House Society, Ecology Action Centre, Parker Street food & furniture bank, Forest Friend, Bike Again, North Brewing Company, Catalyst, Fusion HFX, Deiter's tool and Saw.

Calgary Tool Library (CTL) is a tool lending public library system based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tool libraries loan specialized tools for both experienced and inexperienced community members who are interested in home repair, maintenance, building projects, community projects, gardening and landscaping. Makerspaces provide access to tools and resources and host planned programming, workshops, free play and community group times related to making, DIY, and innovation. The CTL offers tool library memberships to any resident of Calgary and area and to organizations. The CTL is supported by The Calgary Foundation, First Calgary Financial, Brookfield Residential, and Remington Development Corporation.

London Tool Library (LTL) is a tool library based in London, Ontario, Canada.

Cornwall Tool Library (CTL) is a tool lending public library system based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Tool libraries loan specialized tools for both experienced and inexperienced community members who are interested in home repair, maintenance, building projects, community projects, gardening and landscaping. The CTL is a part of the Resource-Based Economy Group (RBEG), a registered Canadian non-profit, is responsible for the operations and management of the CTL. The CTL offers standard memberships to community members over 18 years of age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Tool Library</span>

Ottawa Tool Library (OTL) is a not for profit tool lending public library system based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tool libraries lend specialized tools for both experienced and inexperienced community members who are interested in home repair, maintenance, building projects, community projects, gardening and landscaping as well as cooking. The OTL offers annual, short-term, group and gift memberships. See the website for current rates.

A library of things is any collection of objects loaned, and any organization that practices such loaning. Objects often include kitchen appliances, tools, gardening equipment and seeds, electronics, toys and games, art, science kits, craft supplies, musical instruments, and recreational equipment. Especially appropriate are objects that are useful occasionally but cumbersome to store, such as specialized cookware or niche technology items. Collections vary widely, but go far beyond the books, journals, and media that have been the primary focus of traditional libraries.

References

  1. Ebrahim, S., Kenny, M. & Syed, S. (2014). “Borrowing Centres” in Student-Involved Campus Sustainability and Social Justice Initiatives in Canada. Toronto: Institute of Research and Innovation in Sustainability.
  2. Cat Johnson (Jun 15, 2016). "The Library of Things: 8 Spaces Changing How We Think About Stuff". Sharable. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  3. Janet Davidson (Mar 24, 2014). "Rise of the borrowing shops". The Hindu (Guardian Newspapers Limited). Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  4. Kenny, M. (2012). ""Borrowing Centres" in Spaces of Resistance: Activist, DIY and Collective Spaces in North America". York University undergraduate’s thesis. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  5. Moore, Julia E. (1995). "A History of Toy Lending Libraries in the United States Since 1935". Kent State University master's thesis. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  6. "Tool Lending Library | Berkeley Public Library". www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  7. "Tool Lending Library | Oakland Public Library". oaklandlibrary.org. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  8. "The Sharing Depot – Canada's First Library of Things". sharingdepot.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  9. "The "Library of (DiDIY) Tools and Things" Movement: still missing in Europe? | Digital DIY". www.didiy.eu. Retrieved 2018-03-19.