The Lexington Tool Library has opened its doors at the United Way's WayPoint Center, located inside the Black and Williams Neighborhood Center.
The community-driven organization offers free access to a wide range of tools and resources, including woodworking and power tools, kitchen equipment, camping gear, garden tools, lawn equipment, and landscaping tools. Members can borrow these tools for home improvement projects, DIY endeavors, and other personal needs. The organization also plans to offer workshops and classes in the future, focusing on tool usage, maintenance, and safety. The tool library is open from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and is staffed by volunteer members.
Membership is available to Central Kentucky residents age 18 and older. The membership fee is pay-what-you-can, allowing individuals to contribute based on their financial capability. The Tool Library accepts monetary donations as well as donations of tools and gear in good condition to expand its inventory.
"This is going to be a game changer for Lexington," said Casey Lyons, a member organizer of the Tool Library. "A lot of people are living in broken down homes, with landlords that won't fix things or as homeowners with code violations they can't afford to fix, getting charged fines that make it even harder to pay for the repairs they need to keep their houses. We needed something different: a way for people to come together and share what we have, empowering ourselves and each other to make things better when the powerful won't."
The organization launched with support from several local organizations. The Lexington Pride Center provided financial assistance, the United Way of the Bluegrass facilitated the launch location, and the Leadership Lexington class of 2022-23 from Commerce Lexington helped establish crucial connections to kickstart this project.
“We are working to improve housing stock all over town. The [Lexington Tool Library] is a great idea that helps people help themselves,” said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton.
Visit lextools.org for more information.