Library of Things is a website where you can set up an account to rent useful household items, collecting them from a self-service locker. Or alternatively get the items delivered, if you don’t live near locker. Most tools are not used that often in their lifetime, so this saves on buying new.
At end of use, just return the tool (clean), ready to rent from someone else in your community.
The site has partnered with quality brands (like BOSCH) to rent out quality tools that are easily repaired, and this helps to stop cheap tools going to landfill.
We don’t recommend renting garden strimmers, due to awful injuries to frogs and hedgehogs (use garden shears instead, which you can rent). If you do use strimmers, gently sweep the area with a broom before, to give wildlife time to escape. Also avoid robotic lawnmowers (sleepy or hibernating wildlife can’t escape in time).
Examples of popular tools rented out include the following:
- Steam cleaners
- Carpet cleaners
- Cordless drills
- Pressure washers
- Extendable ladders
- Sanders
- Wallpaper strippers
- Sewing machines
- Tile cutters
- Loppers
- DIY tool kits
- Saws
- Secateurs
- Moisture Meters
- Thermal imaging cameras
- Paper shredders
- Spirit levels
- Extension reels
- Bike toolkits
Presently, Library of Things is just in several London locations. But you can start a new branch anywhere you like.
