Library of Things Directory 

A Library of Things is an organisation which loans out items to members of its local community, promoting a sharing economy. These items can be anything and generally include DIY tools, garden machinery, kitchen appliances, camping gear, event equipment and generally useful household items.

The benefits of borrowing items from a Library of Things rather than owning them are multiple:

• we free up space in our homes
• save money by paying a fraction of the purchase cost
• ensure items get a full life of use
• reduces over-manufacturing and material usage
• reduces waste and carbon emissions.

The impact on the planet of our existing consumer habits is unsustainable. By borrowing and sharing instead of buying and owning we reduce our collective impact on the planet and ensure the amount of waste is kept to a minimum. Manufacturing processes along with disposal and recycling processes are all carbon-emitting problems that we need to address if we're to tackle the climate crisis.

The UK's first high street library of things emerged in Frome in 2015, and led to a SHARE UK network. Interest spread around the country and there are now many independent libraries of things, and some with the SHARE name. A network of libraries of things is being set up - find out more on the Facebook group.

If you have a new library of things to add to the directory please contact Ethical Consumer (and select 'website problem' so that your email will go direct to the web editor) and provide the information as set out for existing schemes.

If you are thinking about setting up a new Library of Things please read this top 10 list of tips of how to create one.

(Directory is listed by A-Z of the library name, not town; separated into England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.)

England

Name: Borrow Don't Buy
Website: borrowdontbuy.co.uk
What do they lend?: Baby & Child, DIY, Events & House Party Supplies, Gardening, Home Maintenance & Cleaning, Kitchen and Cooking stuff, Outdoors & Hobbying, Techy Stuff.
Address: THINQTANQ, Fairbairn House, Higher Ln, Plymouth, PL1 2AN
Phone: 01752 393636
Email: hello@borrowdontbuy.co.uk

Name: The Borrow Shop
Website: theborrowshop.co.uk
What do they lend?: Cleaning, DIY, Entertaining, Hobbies, Home. Also has vegan cafe.
Address: Unit E, 15 Caroline Street, Birmingham, B3 1TR
Phone: n/a
Email: sophie@theborrowshop.co.uk

Name: Brighton & Hove Library of Things
Website: https://participate.libraryofthings.co.uk/brighton
What do they lend?: DIY, Home, Tools.
Address: Revaluit by Tech-Takeback store, 12 Pavilion Buildings, Castle Square, Brighton, BN1 1EE
Phone: n/a
Email: n/a

Name: Buy Nowt LS6
Website: Buynowtls6.com
What do they lend?: Arts & crafts, Baby & Child, Camping, Cooking, DIY, Gardening, Home, Sports, Toys.
Address: Headingley Methodist Church, Centenary Room, 1-3 Chapel Street, Leeds, LS6 3HZ
Phone: n/a
Email: lot@buynowtls6.com

Name: Elmbridge Library of Things (Walton on Thames)
Website: https://elmbridgeecohub.org.uk/library-of-things/
What do they lend?: Arts & crafts, Cooking, DIY, Gardening, Home etc. (Also onsite is Community Fridge, Refill Shop, Skill Share, Repair Cafe, Small item recycling, Community Garden, Seed Bank, Jigsaw swap, Book Swap)
Address: Elmbridge Community Eco Hub (in former bowling club), Walton on Thames, KT12 1LH
Phone:  07831637986
Email: info@elmbridgeecohub.org.uk

Name: Exeter Library of Things
Website: exeterlot.org.uk
What do they lend?: Baby & child, Gardening, Hobbies, Home, Leisure, Sports, Tech, Tools
Address: 3rd Floor, 178-179 Sidwell St, Exeter, EX4 6RD
Phone: n/a
Email: exeterlot@gmail.com

Name: Exmouth Library of Things
Website: www.exmouthlibraryofthings.org
What do they lend?: Camping, Cooking, Gardening, Hobbies, Home, Parties, Travel, Tools..
Address: Exmouth Methodist Church (Littlemead), Roundhouse Lane, Exmouth, EX8 3BZ
Phone: 07735029404
Email: libraryofthings-exmouth@outlook.com

Name: Hastings Library of Things
Website: www.hastingslibraryofthings.co.uk
What do they lend?: Camping, Crafts, DIY, Gardening, Health and Wellbeing, Hobbies, Home, Outdoor, Party, Sports, Technology, Toys & Games.
Address: The Common Room, 27-29 Cambridge Road, Hastings, TN34 1DJ
Phone:
Email: use contact page

Name: Hull Library of Things
Website: libraryofstuff.co.uk
What do they lend?: Automotive, Baby & Child, DIY, Gardening, Health and Wellbeing, Hobbying, Home, Outdoor, Party, Technology.
Address: 265A Cottingham Road, Hull, HU5 4AU
Phone: 07449421467
Email: info@libraryofstuff.co.uk

Name: Ilkley Thingery
Website: www.ilkleythingery.org
What do they lend?: Arts & crafts, camping, cooking, DIY, gardening, household, office equipment, sports, tools, toys & games,
Address: 10 Church Street, Ilkley, LS29 9DS
Phone:
Email:library-of-things@climateactionilkley.org.uk

Name: Kernow Library of Things
Website: kloth.org.uk
What do they lend?: Camping, Crafts, Decorating, Games, Gardening, Kitchen, Party, Tools.
Address: The Old Gentlemen's Hut, Quay Hill, Penryn, TR10 8JE
Phone: n/a
Email: info@kloth.org.uk

Name: Lewes Library of Things
Website: www.leweslibraryofthings.org.uk
What do they lend?: Baby & child, Camping, Cleaning, DIY, Events, Gardening, Hobbies, Home, Leisure, Sports, Tools etc.
Address: Landport Community Room, 2a Horsfield Road, Lewes, BN7 2TA
Phone: 07536177608
Email: Leweslot@gmail.com

Name: Library of Things London ( x 15 locations)
Website: libraryofthings.co.uk
What do they lend?: Adventuring, Cleaning, Cooking & Household, DIY, Gardening, Hobbying, Tools etc.
Location: Barking, Bromley, Canada Water Crystal Palace, Dalston, Finsbury Park, Hackney Wick, Hammersmith, Kentish Town, Kilburn, Morden, North Kensington, Pimlico, Sutton, Willesden Green, Woolwich.
Contacts: the main website has links to all 10 schemes

Name: Liverpool Tool Library
Website: liverpooltoollibrary.org.uk
What do they lend?: All sorts of tools, for home, gardening, hobbies, DIY etc. Also books on using tools and doing DIY!
Address: Unit 5 Aspen Yard, 1 Aspen Grove, Liverpool, L8 0SR
Phone: 07340076653
Email: hello@liverpooltoollibrary.org.uk

Name: Manchester Library of Things
Website: mcrlot.com
What do they lend?: TBC, but likely to be tools, home, gardening, hobbies etc.
Address: Levenshulme Old Library, Cromwell Grove, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3QE
Phone: n/a
Email: info@mcrlot.com

Name: Share and Repair Bath
Website: bathlibraryofthings.org.uk
What do they lend?: Camping & Outdoors, DIY, Gardening, Home, Parties & Events
Address: 8 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LJ
Phone: 07486 518197
Email: hello@shareandrepair.org.uk

Name: SHARE Bristol
Website: sharebristol.org.uk
What do they lend?: Adventure and camping kit, DIY tools, Gardening tools, Items for hosting and parties, Cooking and cleaning items for your home.
Address: 1-5 High Street, Kingswood, BS15 4AA
Phone: 0117 967 3329
Email: hello@sharebristol.org.uk

Name: SHARE Flitwick and Ampthill
Website: www.shareflitwickandampthill.org
What do they lend?: Gardening, DIY, Hobbies, Home, Leisure, Parties and Sports.
Address: Flitwick Village Hall, Dunstable Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire. MK45 1HP
Phone: n/a
Email: info@shareflitwickandampthill.org

Name: SHARE Frome
Website: sharefrome.org
What do they lend?: 1000 items from 10 categories: Arts & Craft, Baby & Children, DIY, Events, Gardening, Household, Kitchen, Leisure & Camping, Music/Media/Audio-Visual, Sports & Games.
Address: 3a The Bridge, Frome, BA11 1AR
Phone: 07983639611
Email: borrow@sharefrome.org

Name: SHARE Oxford
Website: shareoxford.org
What do they lend?: Arts and Crafts, Camping, Children, Cleaning, Cooking, Cycling, DIY, Education, Electronics, Entertaining, Gardening, Household, Music, Sports, Travel.
Address: Makespace, 1 Aristotle Lane, Oxford, OX2 6TP
Phone: 07410 942204
Email: libraryofthings@shareoxford.org

Name: SHARE Portsmouth
Website: shareportsmouth.org.uk/borrow/
What do they lend?: Arts and Crafts, Camping, Cooking, DIY, Entertaining, Gardening, Household.
Address: Cascades Shopping Centre, Commercial Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4RP
Phone: 07579 02 6568
Email: hello@shareportsmouth.org.uk

Name: SHARE Salisbury
Website: sharesalisbury.co.uk
What do they lend?: DIY, Events, Gardening, Home Maintenance & Cleaning, Kitchen and Cooking stuff, Outdoors & Hobbying.
Address: Wessex Community Action, Unit 6 Whittle Rd, Churchfields Ind Est, Salisbury, SP2 7YR
Phone: 07546408441
Email: info@sharesalisbury.co.uk

Name: Share Shed (Devon)
Website: shareshed.org.uk
What do they lend?: Over 350 items including: Camping, Gardening, Household appliances, Sewing machines, Suitcases, Tools and more.
Address: Mobile library of things based in Devon.
Phone: 07516 908237
Email: info@shareshed.org.uk

Name: Share Skipton
Website: Facebook/Instagram: @shareskipton
What do they lend?: TBC.
Address: Skipton, North Yorkshire
Phone:
Email: skiptonlot@gmail.com

Northern Ireland

Name: Belfast Tool Library
Website: belfasttoollibrary.com
What do they lend?: Tools
Address: 4-84 Tower Street, Belfast, BT5 4FH,
Phone: n/a
Email: lending@belfasttoollibrary.com

Scotland

Name: Crieff Community Tool Library (Remake)
Website: remakescotland.co.uk/tool-library
What do they lend?: Tools: crafts, DIY, equipment, gardening, play etc. Also run repair workshops, second-hand shop, furniture store and second-hand bikes.
Address: Unit 2, Crieff Visitor Centre, Muthill Road, Crieff, PH7 4HQ
Phone: 01764 655733
Email: n/a

Name: Community Toolbox [Dundee]
Website: https://dundee.myturn.com/library/
What do they lend?: Power tools, carpet cleaners, camping equipment, kitchen appliances and gardening equipment.
Address: Wellbeing Works, Unit 20a, Wellgate Centre, Dundee, DD1 2DB
Phone: 01382 227288
Email: toolbox@wellbeingworksdundee.org.uk

Name: East Linton Tool Library
Website: fixingforafuture.org/tool-library
What do they lend?: Tools: building, DIY, gardening, sewing etc. Also run repair cafe.
Address: Fixing for a Future, East Linton Tool Library, The Mart, East Linton, EH40 3DN
Phone: n/a
Email: fixingforafuture@gmail.com

Name: Ecology Centre Tool Library (Kinghorn)
Website: theecologycentre.org/tool-library
What do they lend?: Tools: building, car, DIY, gardening etc,
Address: The Ecology Centre, Kinghorn Loch, Kinghorn, Fife, KY3 9YG
Phone: 01592 891567
Email: admin@theecologycentre.org

Name: Edinburgh Tool Library
Website: edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk
What do they lend?: Tools
Address: 121 Lawrie Reilly Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5FG
Phone: n/a
Email: hello@edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk

Name: Glasgow Tool Library
Website: glasgowtoollibrary.com (Facebook @glasgowtoollibrary)
What do they lend?: Tools
Address: 26 Civic St, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Phone: n/a
Email: hello@glasgowtoollibrary.com

Name: RecyKillin Tool Library & Remakery
Website: recykillin.myturn.com/library
What do they lend?: Tools: cleaning, DIY, gardening, kitchen, sewing etc. Also runs workshops and repairs.
Address: Morenish Place, Main St, Killin, FK21 8UR
Phone: n/a
Email: recykillin@gmail.com

Name: Southside Tool Library (Glasgow)
Website: southsidetoollibrary.myturn.com/library
What do they lend?: Tools: cars, cleaning, DIY, gardening, kitchen, sewing etc.
Address: South Seeds, 514 Victoria Road, Glasgow, G42 8BG
Phone: 0141 636 3959
Email:

Name: Transition Linlithgow Tool Library
Website: trust-linlithgow.org.uk/projects/welcome-to-transition-linlithgow/tool-library
What do they lend?: Tools
Address: EH49 Hub, 6-7 The Vennel, Linlithgow, EH49 7TF
Phone: 01506 846991
Email: hello@trust-linlithgow.org.uk

Name: Transition St Andrews Tool Share
Website: transitionsta.org/sharing/toolshare
What do they lend?: Gardening equipment, kitchen appliances, tools.
Address: 7 Woodburn Place, St Andrews, KY16 8LA
Phone: 01334 464000
Email: transition@st-andrews.ac.uk

Name: Transition Stirling Tool Library
Website: transitionstirling.org.uk/the-tool-library
What do they lend?: Over 300 items from sewing machines, drills and saws to mechanical tools, gardening tools and cooking equipment.
Address: Unit 12, Stirling Arcade, Stirling, FK8 1AX
Phone: 01786 357171
Email: info@transitionstirling.org.uk

Others similar schemes in Scotland

There is also a toy library in Govan (Glasgow), a musical instrument library in Glasgow (Music Broth), and a repair cafe run by Transition Town Forres (Moray). The public library in Fintry (Dundee) is also running the Fintry Gardening Tool Library as a separate scheme. Dumfries has started a monthly repair shop, based at the Stove Cafe.

Share and Repair network

A Share and Repair network has been set up by Circular Communities Scotland charity in collaboration with Edinburgh Tool Library and Edinburgh Remakery. It is funded jointly with Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Share and Repair network focuses on sharing libraries and repair projects. Its website has more information including a map of all the locations (currently 28). Some of the libraries listed above are in this network.

More information about the wider circular economy work is on the Circular Communities Scotland website.

Lend and Mend hubs in Scottish public libraries

New in 2023 selected public libraries in Aberdeen, Angus, Edinburgh, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Orkney, Perth, North and South Ayrshire will create ‘Lend and Mend Hubs’ to help their communities to repair, reuse, rent and upcycle everyday items. The library services will offer free access for everyone to keep items in use for longer, rather than them being thrown away.

Each library hub will also introduce an education programme to support new skills development, helping to reduce inequality through equitable access to resources.

The project is funded by The John Lewis Partnership’s £1 million Circular Future Fund and is being managed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) where you can find a list of the new hubs.

Wales

Name: Benthyg Cymru
Website: www.benthyg-cymru.org - includes map directory with all locations
What do they lend?: Camping, DIY, Entertainment, Events, Garden, Hobbies, Homeware, Kitchen, Sports, Tools, Travel,
Locations: various across Wales including Abergavenny, Newport, Monmouth, Chepstow, Caldicot, Maerdy, Pontypridd, Pembrokeshire, Penarth, Barry, Cardiff (Ely, Splott and other sites). Also locations in north Wales including Bethesda, Ruthin, Denbigh, Mold, Llangollen; and in mid Wales in Llanidloes and Llandrindod Wells.
Phone:
Email: info@benthyg-cymru.org

Benthyg Cymru is the national body in Wales for lending schemes. It provides membership, toolkits and network meetings for peer to peer support.

Name: Benthyg Rumney / Rumney Forum
Website: benthyg.org
What do they lend?: Camping, DIY, Entertainment, Events, Garden, Hobbies, Homeware, Kitchen.
Address: Brachdy House, 50 Brachdy Road, Rumney, Cardiff, CF3 3BG
Phone: 07922 546933
Email: benthyg@rumneyforum.org.uk

Name: Swansea Library of Things
Website: www.swansealibraryofthings.co.uk
What do they lend?: Camping, DIY, Entertainment, Gardening Homeware, Kitchen.
Address: Quadrant Shopping Centre, Swansea, SA1 3QW
Phone: n/a
Email: info@swansealibraryofthings.co.uk

*NEW* There is also now a mobile bus in north east Wales! Bws Benthyg (Borrow Bus) visits markets, community centres and rural locations around Denbighshire and Flintshire.

Other sharing ideas or single category libraries

Someone shared (!) a single category sharing scheme with us on Facebook: Tentshare. You can join as either someone lending or borrowing a tent.

And don't forget the original library ... of books! Nearly all public libraries also have free e-books, e-audio books, and some have e-magazines and music and films. Many have magazines and newspapers you can read in the library too. All local authorities in the UK have to provide a public library service so check out your nearest branch (some offer mobile library or at-home services for those who can't reach a branch library).