The Library of Things: Sharing Resources, Building Community

Our Journey: From Tool Library to Library of Things

The Library of Things concept isn't new. It started back in 2014 with a grassroots initiative in South London, building upon earlier initiatives like the Toronto Tool Library. Here in Woughton, we've actually been ahead of the curve. We've been running a tool library since about 2009 or 2010, lending mowers, strimmers, and other garden equipment to people across the area.

We provided this service at no cost, encouraging residents to share equipment rather than buying it. It was affordable, free for residents of the parish, and it created wonderful opportunities for engagement. Our officers would deliver equipment and talk to residents about the spaces they were managing, often offering advice about complementary planting and garden management. This informal engagement built relationships across the parish, and once people started borrowing tools, they'd tell their neighbours, who'd tell their friends, and the tool library grew organically.

However, we faced a significant challenge: storage space. We deliver the devolved landscaping service for our parish (our principal authority, Milton Keynes City Council, pays us to deliver these services), and until a few years ago, our landscape service was based in a depot outside the parish simply because it was the only space we could find. That space was subjected to repeated break-ins, with people literally taking the roof off and stealing our equipment.

Creating the Infrastructure

We worked with our principal authority and found a piece of wasteland within our parish where we could develop a new landscape depot. As part of that planning process, we looked at what else we might be able to use that space for, and one priority was expanding our tool library into a full Library of Things to respond to frequent requests from residents.

We were getting regular requests for items like tables and chairs, and surprisingly, cake tins. The number of people who said, "Have you got a big cake tin? We've got a celebration coming up, and I've got cake tins, but nothing big enough" really surprised me. Cake tins are remarkably expensive, so having a range of cake tins available is surprisingly popular.

We now have two 20-foot containers with racking down three sides. These house both the Library of Things and our flood kit (we're a parish subject to surface water flooding, and much of this equipment supports residents in managing that challenge).

How We Manage It: The Technology and the People

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is about the software we use. We worked with a company called LendEngine, the same provider used by the Oxford Library of Things. They're excellent, and here's the part that usually gets a reaction: we pay £5 per month for this software.

Yes, you heard that right. Five pounds per month for professional borrowing management software. It's remarkably affordable and incredibly functional.

The software manages everything: agreements and liabilities, terms and conditions, inventory of all items, the booking system, user accounts, and loan tracking. You can see all your equipment listed with photos, descriptions, and availability. We have everything from lawn mowers to litter picking kits to pressure washers to carpet cleaners to dehumidifiers.

Some items have a small cost associated with them, predominantly around electrical equipment. This contributes to the costs of portable appliance testing (PAT testing) and items with consumables. Lawn mowers need new blades, strimmers need strimmer cord, that sort of thing.

However, we're remarkably flexible. We know our residents quite well, and we're able to have conversations about whether a cost is something they can afford or not. We can waive fees when appropriate because we understand the financial challenges many of our residents face.

The Human Element: Staffing and Volunteers

We employ someone to run the Library of Things, but it's part of a wider parish ranger role and environmental responsibilities. Julie, our parish ranger (and Library of Things genius), spends Monday and Friday afternoons managing loans. People can collect items at the beginning of the week and return them at the end, or vice versa.

We also work with two volunteers who assist with the operation. Volunteers are an essential part of making this work, but there is a level of oversight needed to ensure everything is covered and we're operating legally and safely.

What's In Our Library: Meeting Real Community Needs

Our inventory has grown based on actual requests from residents. We stock:

Garden Equipment: Lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, strimmers, leaf blowers, pressure washers
DIY and Maintenance: Tools, ladders, workbenches, carpet cleaners, dehumidifiers, paint equipment
Event Equipment: Tables, chairs, gazebos, disco equipment, our magnificent 7-metre display trailer with a pop-out back and kitchen
Party Supplies: Cake tins, slow cookers, hot plates, catering equipment, serving dishes
Camping and Outdoor: Tents, camping equipment, outdoor games
Litter Picking Kits: Supporting residents who want to keep their community clean
Seasonal Items: Equipment that's only needed at certain times of year

Usage Patterns: What We've Learned

Since opening the expanded Library of Things in April 2024, we've learned a lot about how residents use the service. Summer months are our peak season: we're busier, mostly lending garden equipment. People are maintaining their outdoor spaces, having garden parties, and tackling outdoor projects.

Winter months see usage drop to about 10 to 12 loans per week, with a different focus on indoor items. The Christmas period brings a surge again with items like slow cookers, heated hot plates, extra chairs and tables — basically, things people need when extended family comes for Christmas. Being able to borrow these items means families can host gatherings without spending money on equipment they'll only use once or twice a year or worrying about storage.

We're still very much in what I'd call a beta testing phase, despite having run the tool library successfully for over a decade. We're ironing out wrinkles, learning what works, and adapting based on feedback. This experimental mindset has been crucial to our success.

The Broader Context: Community Fridges and Waste Reduction

The Library of Things fits into our wider commitment to waste reduction and environmental sustainability. We run three community fridges in Woughton. For those unfamiliar with community fridges, these are community projects where food that would otherwise go to waste is donated and redistributed to stop it going to landfill sites.

The community fridge movement started around 2018–2019 and has spread across the country. Since 2020 in Milton Keynes, we've saved the equivalent of 4.1 million meals through community fridges. That food hasn't gone to landfill, and it's fed people who needed it. Like the Library of Things, this started as a waste reduction project but has become so much more, creating community connections and supporting people during difficult times.

Learning From Others: The Oxford Model

As we developed our Library of Things, we looked at other successful models. The Oxford Library of Things, run by a company called Share Oxford, is excellent. They have well over 200 items available for borrowing, from air mattresses to bubble machines and everything in between.

However, they take a slightly different approach. They have an enormous storage space and implement a charging policy for all items. They offer different equipment, many items of which have been donated by local people and are loaned at very different frequencies.

Oxford has a different demographic than Woughton. Our parish faces significant deprivation challenges. Some of our lower super output areas (LSOAs) are in the 3% most deprived in the country, despite being part of the very affluent city of Milton Keynes. This reality shapes how we operate our Library of Things, with affordability and accessibility at the forefront of our approach.

Safety, Liability, and Legal Considerations

Safety and liability are often queries that come to me — what happens if someone has an accident whilst using our equipment? These are legitimate concerns that need addressing before you start lending equipment.

Safety Checks and Testing

All equipment is safety checked before going out and upon return. Any electrical equipment is PAT tested regularly. We provide RCD breakers (residual current device breakers) and require users to sign that they will use them with any mowers, trimmers, and similar equipment.

Terms and Conditions

We have comprehensive terms and conditions in place that cover acceptable use policies, damage and loss protocols, safety requirements, return timelines, charging policies, and liability.

Liability and Insurance

The Library of Things is covered by our public liability insurance. However, we also have a sign-off process where borrowers acknowledge that they are capable and competent to use the equipment. This declaration provides some protection by confirming that users understand their responsibilities and won't hold the Library of Things liable for injuries resulting from improper use.

You absolutely need to get your terms and conditions properly drafted and your insurance sorted before you start lending equipment. This isn't something to approach casually.

Membership: Who Can Access the Library?

One challenge we've faced is that we're a parish within a fully parished city, and we're one of the few Libraries of Things available locally. It's supported through our precept, so we initially kept it within our parish boundaries.

However, we frequently get people from outside our parish asking, "Can I join the Library of Things?" We've discussed this extensively and implemented a tiered membership system: parish residents get standard access and pricing, while non-residents pay higher fees to reflect that they're not contributing to our precept.

This approach allows us to be neighbourly and support the wider community while ensuring we're not using taxpayer money inappropriately. It's a balance, but I think it's fair.

Future Plans: The Repair Café

One of the most exciting developments we're planning is adding a Repair Café alongside our Library of Things. This would involve running events where people can bring equipment that's damaged or needs mending and work with experts or people with skills to fix it.

We'd bring together people who understand electronics and electrical repairs, sewing and textile repairs, soft toy repair, furniture restoration, bicycle maintenance, and general tool and equipment repair.

There are a couple of repair cafés in Milton Keynes, but nothing close to Woughton. Again, it's about providing something within the parish that people can easily access. The repair café concept excites me because it adds another dimension to our waste reduction goals while also providing skill development opportunities and creating friendships.

The Benefits: Financial, Environmental, and Social

Better for Purses

For residents, especially those facing financial challenges, the Library of Things is transformative. Instead of spending £200 on a pressure washer they'll use twice a year, they can borrow ours. Instead of buying a complete set of camping equipment for one summer holiday, they can try camping without the major investment. Instead of purchasing extra tables and chairs for one family celebration, they can borrow what they need.

This frees up money for other essentials while still allowing people to maintain their homes, enjoy their gardens, and host gatherings. The cost savings add up significantly over time.

Better for the Planet

Every item borrowed is one less item manufactured, packaged, transported, and eventually discarded. We're directly reducing demand for new products and keeping existing items in circulation longer.

The environmental impact of manufacturing is substantial. Every new appliance requires raw materials extraction, energy-intensive production processes, transportation, and packaging. By sharing equipment, we're reducing all of this. We're also addressing the UK's position as the second biggest producer of electrical waste in the world.

Better for Community

Perhaps the most unexpected benefit has been the social connection created through the Library of Things. When Julie delivers or collects equipment, she chats with residents, learns about their projects, offers advice, and builds relationships. These interactions create trust and connection.

Residents tell their neighbours about the service, which starts conversations. People discover shared interests. Someone borrowing camping equipment might connect with another family who camps regularly and share recommendations. These informal networks strengthen community bonds in ways that formal programmes often can't achieve.

Starting Your Own Library of Things: A Practical Guide

If you're considering starting a Library of Things in your parish, you might want to check out existing schemes near you. If you want to start one yourself, here are the key things you need to consider:

1. Develop a Clear Vision

What do you want to achieve? Is it primarily about garden equipment sharing, providing a comprehensive range of items, supporting residents facing financial hardship, environmental sustainability, or community building? Your vision will shape everything else, from what you stock to how you charge to who can access it. It's important to engage with your community at this stage to see whether there is an appetite for the project and to see what sort of equipment should be considered in the early stages.

2. Secure Adequate Storage

Where will you store everything? We're fortunate to have two 20-foot containers, but you might start smaller. Consider available council-owned space, partnerships with community centres, shipping containers (new or used), and existing storage facilities. Storage needs will grow as your library grows, so think about scalability.

3. Budget Appropriately

For us, the Library of Things costs about £6,000 per year to run. This is relatively small in our overall budget but represents real money. Consider software (LendEngine at £5/month is remarkably affordable), staff time, equipment purchases and maintenance, PAT testing for electrical items, insurance costs, and consumables. Some councils might pilot with £2,000–3,000 to test the concept before committing to larger budgets, but it could be even cheaper. If you have storage space, equipment that could be loaned and an officer or volunteer base to use, it can be almost cost neutral.

4. Determine Staffing Approach

Who will manage it? Options include paid staff as part of existing roles (our approach), dedicated part-time staff if usage justifies it, volunteer-led with council oversight, or a hybrid approach with staff managing key functions and volunteers assisting. Remember that while volunteers are wonderful and essential, there needs to be oversight to ensure legal compliance and safety. However, there are Libraries of Things that are entirely self-contained, managed by a team of trustees and delivered purely on a voluntary basis.

5. Establish Your Charging Policy

Will you charge for loans? If so, how much? We charge for some items (particularly electrical equipment and items with consumables) but remain flexible based on individual circumstances. Consider free for all residents, nominal fees to cover costs, tiered pricing based on item value, contribution toward consumables only, or different rates for residents versus non-residents. Your charging policy should reflect your community's financial situation and your library's goals.

6. Source Equipment Thoughtfully

Where will equipment come from? Options include initial purchase of core items, donations from residents (be careful not to become a dumping ground), partnerships with retailers or manufacturers, grant funding for specific items, and gradual building based on requests. Be clear about what you will and won't accept if taking donations. You want functional, safe equipment, not broken items people want to discard.

7. Implement Proper Safety Protocols

Essential elements include PAT testing schedules for all electrical equipment, safety checks before and after loans, RCD breakers for outdoor electrical equipment, clear instructions for each item, competency declarations from users, and incident reporting procedures. Don't compromise on safety. The liability risks are too significant.

8. Draft Comprehensive Terms and Conditions

Your terms and conditions should cover eligibility requirements, loan periods, late return policies, damage and loss protocols, user responsibilities, safety requirements, and liability limitations. Have these professionally reviewed to ensure they're legally sound and provide appropriate protection.

9. Decide Who Can Access the Service

Will you limit it to parish residents? This is a crucial decision with implications for fairness (your precept payers funding it), demand management, community relations with neighbouring parishes, and sustainability of the service. Our tiered approach allows wider access while protecting parish resources.

10. Plan for Add-Ons and Growth

What might you add in future? Consider repair cafés, skills workshops (using the equipment you lend), community events featuring library items, partnerships with environmental groups, and educational programmes about sustainability. Having a growth plan helps you make decisions now that support future expansion.

Real-World Impact: One Loan at a Time

The title of my talk included the phrase "one loan at a time," and I think this captures something important about how change happens. We're not going to solve the UK's waste problem or transform community connections overnight. But every time someone borrows a pressure washer instead of buying one, that's one less item manufactured. Every conversation Julie has when delivering equipment is one more connection made. Every family that can host Christmas dinner because they borrowed extra chairs is one more positive experience.

These individual actions accumulate into significant impact. Since opening in April, we've completed hundreds of loans. That's hundreds of items not purchased, hundreds of conversations had, hundreds of pounds saved by residents. The ripple effects extend far beyond what we can measure.

Challenges and Learning Points

I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the challenges we've faced:

Storage limitations: Even with two containers, space is always at a premium. We've had to be strategic about what we stock.
Demand management: Peak times (summer, Christmas) can be challenging. We're considering whether we need more of certain popular items.
Equipment maintenance: Things break, and keeping everything in good working order requires time and money.
Balancing accessibility with sustainability: We want to serve everyone, but we need to ensure the service remains financially viable.
Managing expectations: Not everyone understands the terms or returns items on time. Clear communication and consistent enforcement of policies are essential.
Preventing misuse: Occasionally, people attempt to borrow items for commercial purposes or don't treat equipment with appropriate care.

These challenges are manageable, but they require attention and consistent processes.

The Wider Green Agenda

The Library of Things is one piece of our wider environmental commitment. It connects to our community fridges reducing food waste, our devolved landscaping service managing green spaces sustainably, our flood management protecting residents and property, our environment team keeping the parish clean and creating new green spaces, and our partnerships with environmental organisations.

Each initiative reinforces the others, creating a comprehensive approach to sustainability that residents can see, participate in, and benefit from. This holistic approach is more effective than isolated programmes because it demonstrates consistent commitment and creates multiple entry points for engagement.

Key Takeaways

If you take nothing else from this article, remember these eight points:

Libraries of Things are achievable for councils of all sizes. Start small with what you can manage and grow from there.
The benefits extend far beyond waste reduction. Financial savings, environmental protection, and community building are all significant outcomes.
Affordable technology makes management simple. LendEngine at £5/month proves you don't need expensive systems.
Safety and legal considerations are paramount. Don't skip proper insurance, PAT testing, terms and conditions, and safety protocols.
Community input shapes success. Listen to what residents actually need rather than assuming what they want.
Flexibility matters. Being able to adapt policies, waive fees when appropriate, and respond to feedback creates better outcomes.
Start with a pilot approach. Test the concept, learn, adapt, and then expand based on evidence.
Integration with wider goals strengthens impact. Link your Library of Things to environmental, social, and community objectives.

Conclusion

The Library of Things represents a shift in how we think about ownership, consumption, and community. Instead of everyone owning everything they might occasionally need, we share resources, reduce waste, save money, and build connections in the process.

For Woughton, this has been transformative. We've created a service that tangibly improves residents' lives while advancing our environmental goals and strengthening our community. The initial investment and ongoing costs are modest compared to the benefits delivered.

More importantly, we've created something that aligns with how people increasingly want to live: more sustainably, more connected to neighbours, more thoughtfully about consumption. The Library of Things offers a practical way to live these values without requiring dramatic lifestyle changes or sacrifices.

If you're considering starting a Library of Things in your parish or town, I encourage you to take the leap. Start small if necessary, learn as you go, and don't be afraid to adapt based on what works in your community. The journey from concept to reality is achievable, and the impact is worthwhile.

Change happens one loan at a time. Each borrowed item represents a small choice toward sustainability, community, and sensible resource use. Collectively, these choices add up to something significant: a different way of living that's better for purses, better for the planet, and better for community.

Watch the Full Webinar

Resources

Useful Links

LendEngine Software: Affordable library management at just £5/month — lend-engine.com
Library of Things Directory: Find existing schemes near you — ethicalconsumer.org
Woughton Community Council: woughtoncommunitycouncil.gov.uk

FAQ: Setting Up and Running a Library of Things

What's the minimum budget needed to start a Library of Things?

You could pilot a basic tool library with £1,500–2,000, covering software (£5/month), initial equipment purchases (perhaps 10–15 items), basic storage solutions, PAT testing, and insurance. Our full Library of Things costs about £6,000 annually, but we're operating at scale with extensive inventory. Start with core items your community most requests and expand based on demand and available budget.

How do you prevent the Library of Things from becoming a dumping ground for unwanted items?

Be very clear about what you will and won't accept if taking donations. We specify that items must be functional, safe, and meet an identified community need. We're not a disposal service for broken or outdated equipment. Have a clear acceptance policy and don't be afraid to say no to inappropriate donations. Focus on items you've purchased or high-quality donations that genuinely add value.

What happens when equipment is returned damaged or not returned at all?

Our terms and conditions clearly state that borrowers are responsible for damage beyond normal wear and tear. We conduct checks before and after loans to document condition. For damaged items, we assess whether it was reasonable wear or negligence. For unreturned items, we have a follow-up protocol starting with friendly reminders and escalating if necessary. Most issues are resolved through conversation. Having clear policies and enforcing them consistently prevents most problems.

How do you manage demand during peak periods when everyone wants the same items?

This is an ongoing challenge, particularly for popular items like lawn mowers in summer. We use the LendEngine booking system so people can reserve items in advance, which helps distribute loans more evenly. We're also considering purchasing additional units of the most popular items. During peak times, we encourage shorter loan periods so more people can access equipment. Clear communication about availability and advance booking helps manage expectations.

Is the £5/month LendEngine cost really sufficient, or are there hidden charges?

The £5/month genuinely covers the core software functionality we need. There may be additional features available at higher tiers, but we find the basic package completely adequate for our Library of Things operation. It manages inventory, bookings, user accounts, and loan tracking without limitations that affect our service. It's remarkably good value.

How do you balance serving your own residents while being neighbourly to surrounding parishes?

Our tiered membership system allows us to be accessible to non-residents while recognising that parish residents fund the service through their precept. Non-residents pay higher fees, which seems fair to everyone involved. This approach has worked well, allowing us to support the wider community without disadvantaging those who directly fund us. Some councils might choose to restrict access entirely to residents, which is also reasonable. It depends on your specific circumstances and community relationships.

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Steve McNay

Steve McNay is Council Manager at Woughton Community Council in Milton Keynes, serving 14,286 residents across nine grid squares. With over 30 staff and a budget of £1.3 million, Woughton delivers a comprehensive range of services including devolved landscaping, community fridges, and the Library of Things. The council was honoured to be named NALC Council of the Year, recognising their innovative approaches to community service and environmental sustainability.

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