There’s a library in South London that doesn’t only let you borrow books and it’s the first of its kind.
The local residents of Crystal Palace in South London were happy to receive the news that a collection of items could now be borrowed from the Upper Norwood Library Hub.
The project, called a Library of Things, started out as a crowdfunding campaign. When 300 residents responded positively to it, the project was launched and is proving to be a success.
There are 50 items on display which include items such as ice cream makers, carpet cleaners, a lawn mower, a sewing machine, and a pressure washer that anyone can borrow at the library.
The prices of the items can range from £1 ($1.35) to £20 ($27.06) depending on what a person borrows. Regular borrows and those who are less able to pay are even given discounts.
A dad who lived nearby said, “I’m going to borrow the hand sander to do up an old chest of drawers over the weekend, and the kids can borrow a kite and ukulele. It’s great – we don’t have space to store this stuff at home.”
The project, which is led by an all-women director team, recently successfully concluded an 18-month demonstrator site where they were able to loan items more than 2,500 times to 850 borrowers.
Crystal Palace is the first community with this project, but the team has planned to open 10 borrowing sites across the capital over the next three years.
“We’ve had interest from libraries, makerspaces, cafes, shared workspaces, housing associations and property developers looking to make London life more affordable and socially rewarding for people,” said co-director Rebecca Trevalyan.
“We plan to adapt Library of Things to all sorts of communities – and a library, as an open, inclusive space on a high street – is a great place to start.”
Aside from borrowing items, the public can attend practical skill-sharing events like mending meet-ups, repair parties, and DIY classes.
With the services The Library of Things provides for the public, everyone can agree that it’s a project that should be in all communities.