Why buy when you can borrow?
If you’re frustrated by the thought of buying expensive equipment that will be used once or twice then stored forever in the garage, Hull’s Library of Stuff is the answer.
The not-for-profit company is home to thousands of items – from power tools to camping gear and party essentials – that can be borrowed by members of the public for a small fee.
Its founder, Alan Dalgairns, set it up after realising some items on eBay were effectively being borrowed by being purchased, used and resold multiple times.
Discovering that a ‘library of things’ movement was thriving in the USA sparked the idea of operating one locally, and in March 2020 Alan opened the Library of Stuff, now based on Endike Lane in Hull.
Since then the library has gone from strength to strength, with over 1,000 items available to borrow and around 100 items being lent each week.
Alan said: “The library’s ethos is to reduce the need to buy and own things and instead to encourage a sharing community.
“Reducing the need for people to buy things conserves the resources and energy required to produce them, which in turn cuts CO2 emissions and waste, so borrowing is definitely better for the planet.
“It’s also better for people – not just cheaper, but also more convenient in many cases, as it removes the need to store items.”
People can pay a pay-as-you-go £1 yearly membership and pay a small fee for each item or pay an £80 yearly membership and use items at no additional charge. Borrowers can reserve items online, collect them and keep them for a week.
A browse of the library’s online catalogue shows the wealth of items available, including health, fitness and sports kit, mobility aids, automotive tools, IT and baby equipment.
And the concept of sharing doesn’t end with the items being borrowed – the library is also promoting the sharing of knowledge and experience.
“We’re using a carbon calculator developed by a tool library in Edinburgh to work out how the Library of Stuff is helping to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the need for people to buy things, and interns from the University of Hull are joining us to gain work experience in areas including climate, marketing and reporting,” Alan said.
“We also run a monthly repair café in conjunction with north Hull charity Unity in Community, where people can bring along small appliances or IT equipment that need fixing.”
The library is also working with Dove House Hospice’s Reuse Shop and waste management firm FCC Environment to run a club where parents and children can learn how to dismantle electrical items as the starting point to repairing their own things at a later date.
The company’s success saw it win the Social Enterprise StartUp of Year award for the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber in May of this year, followed by the Green category of BBC Radio Humberside’s Make a Difference Awards in September.
“Our aim in everything we do is to reduce the impact that the production of stuff has on the environment, from accepting donated items to add to the library to encouraging people to repair their own belongings,” explained Alan.
“We have big plans to grow the organisation, with new locker ‘pickup’ locations, a potential move to another site and growing our staff and volunteer base to help with the demand for our services across the city and wider community.”