How the Sallowby Tool Library Works

About the Tool Library

The Sallowby Tool Library lends tools and equipment to local people, just as an ordinary library lends books. We have more than four hundred items, including drills, ladders, lawnmowers, sewing machines and pressure washers. Most of them have been given to us by local people. Borrowing tools instead of buying them saves money and space at home, and it means fewer things are thrown away.

Joining

Membership is open to anyone aged eighteen or over who lives in Sallowby. You can join at the library during opening hours. Please bring a recent bill or bank letter showing your address. Membership costs £20 a year, or £10 for people who receive a state pension. You will receive a membership card, which you must show every time you borrow something.

Borrowing

Members can borrow up to three items at a time. Most items can be kept for one week, but larger items such as lawnmowers must be returned after three days. You can reserve an item on our website up to two weeks before you need it. Before taking power tools home, every new borrower is shown how to use them safely by one of our volunteers.

Returning items

Please return tools clean and in the condition you received them. A volunteer will check each item when it comes back. If an item is returned late, a fee of £1 is charged for each day. We understand that accidents happen, so you will not be charged if a tool breaks during normal use, but you must tell us about the problem when you bring it back. If a tool is lost, you will be asked to pay towards a new one.

Opening hours and volunteering

The library is open on Thursdays from 4 pm to 7 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm, but it is closed for two weeks over Christmas. It is run entirely by volunteers, and we are always looking for more. If you have practical skills and can give three hours a month, please speak to a member of the team.