#borrowdontbuy — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #borrowdontbuy, aggregated by home.social.
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Brunswick library lets patrons borrow more than 1,500 gadgets and tools
The #LibraryOfThings in #BrunswickME offers tools, toys, appliances, and more for residents to use for their occasional needs.
Author: Christian Harsa
Published: 7:23 PM EST November 8, 2025BRUNSWICK, Maine — "There are plenty of things people buy, use once, then never find a need for again. It may be a pasta maker gathering dust or a steel drum long forgotten, but those tools and others can be found at the #CurtisMemorialLibrary in Brunswick all for free.
"The idea comes in part from the library's dedication to #sustainability.
"Kelly McElligott, a librarian and manager at the library, explained more about the Library of Things while indexing a shelf full of tools, safety equipment, and other #DIY gadgets.
" 'You may just need to use it only one time, and you can borrow it from us without having to purchase it,' she said.
"McElligott has borrowed from the Library of Things occasionally, too. In fact, she said she once checked out the popover tins for some baking and likes to peruse the conversation starter cards.
"The collection of goods also came in handy when her basement flooded.
" 'I got one of the industrial fans and let it blow for days and hope that fixed it,' she said with a chuckle.
"Built up over a few years, the Library of Things offers the residents of Brunswick and #HarpswellME access to items they may not want to buy but still need. Plus, for a fee, residents from other communities can check out things, too.
"From those who need a KitchenAid mixer or are hoping to become a #DIYFixer, the Curtis Memorial Library has more than 1,500 items, plus some informational classes too.
" 'We did a #DIYPlumbing class, and then we bought the equipment you would need that were talked about in the program so you then you could go home and say, 'I can fix that myself,' McElligott said."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/p7lL5#SolarPunkSunday #LibrariesOfThings #LibraryOfThingsMaine #BorrowDontBuy #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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Brunswick library lets patrons borrow more than 1,500 gadgets and tools
The #LibraryOfThings in #BrunswickME offers tools, toys, appliances, and more for residents to use for their occasional needs.
Author: Christian Harsa
Published: 7:23 PM EST November 8, 2025BRUNSWICK, Maine — "There are plenty of things people buy, use once, then never find a need for again. It may be a pasta maker gathering dust or a steel drum long forgotten, but those tools and others can be found at the #CurtisMemorialLibrary in Brunswick all for free.
"The idea comes in part from the library's dedication to #sustainability.
"Kelly McElligott, a librarian and manager at the library, explained more about the Library of Things while indexing a shelf full of tools, safety equipment, and other #DIY gadgets.
" 'You may just need to use it only one time, and you can borrow it from us without having to purchase it,' she said.
"McElligott has borrowed from the Library of Things occasionally, too. In fact, she said she once checked out the popover tins for some baking and likes to peruse the conversation starter cards.
"The collection of goods also came in handy when her basement flooded.
" 'I got one of the industrial fans and let it blow for days and hope that fixed it,' she said with a chuckle.
"Built up over a few years, the Library of Things offers the residents of Brunswick and #HarpswellME access to items they may not want to buy but still need. Plus, for a fee, residents from other communities can check out things, too.
"From those who need a KitchenAid mixer or are hoping to become a #DIYFixer, the Curtis Memorial Library has more than 1,500 items, plus some informational classes too.
" 'We did a #DIYPlumbing class, and then we bought the equipment you would need that were talked about in the program so you then you could go home and say, 'I can fix that myself,' McElligott said."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/p7lL5#SolarPunkSunday #LibrariesOfThings #LibraryOfThingsMaine #BorrowDontBuy #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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Brunswick library lets patrons borrow more than 1,500 gadgets and tools
The #LibraryOfThings in #BrunswickME offers tools, toys, appliances, and more for residents to use for their occasional needs.
Author: Christian Harsa
Published: 7:23 PM EST November 8, 2025BRUNSWICK, Maine — "There are plenty of things people buy, use once, then never find a need for again. It may be a pasta maker gathering dust or a steel drum long forgotten, but those tools and others can be found at the #CurtisMemorialLibrary in Brunswick all for free.
"The idea comes in part from the library's dedication to #sustainability.
"Kelly McElligott, a librarian and manager at the library, explained more about the Library of Things while indexing a shelf full of tools, safety equipment, and other #DIY gadgets.
" 'You may just need to use it only one time, and you can borrow it from us without having to purchase it,' she said.
"McElligott has borrowed from the Library of Things occasionally, too. In fact, she said she once checked out the popover tins for some baking and likes to peruse the conversation starter cards.
"The collection of goods also came in handy when her basement flooded.
" 'I got one of the industrial fans and let it blow for days and hope that fixed it,' she said with a chuckle.
"Built up over a few years, the Library of Things offers the residents of Brunswick and #HarpswellME access to items they may not want to buy but still need. Plus, for a fee, residents from other communities can check out things, too.
"From those who need a KitchenAid mixer or are hoping to become a #DIYFixer, the Curtis Memorial Library has more than 1,500 items, plus some informational classes too.
" 'We did a #DIYPlumbing class, and then we bought the equipment you would need that were talked about in the program so you then you could go home and say, 'I can fix that myself,' McElligott said."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/p7lL5#SolarPunkSunday #LibrariesOfThings #LibraryOfThingsMaine #BorrowDontBuy #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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Brunswick library lets patrons borrow more than 1,500 gadgets and tools
The #LibraryOfThings in #BrunswickME offers tools, toys, appliances, and more for residents to use for their occasional needs.
Author: Christian Harsa
Published: 7:23 PM EST November 8, 2025BRUNSWICK, Maine — "There are plenty of things people buy, use once, then never find a need for again. It may be a pasta maker gathering dust or a steel drum long forgotten, but those tools and others can be found at the #CurtisMemorialLibrary in Brunswick all for free.
"The idea comes in part from the library's dedication to #sustainability.
"Kelly McElligott, a librarian and manager at the library, explained more about the Library of Things while indexing a shelf full of tools, safety equipment, and other #DIY gadgets.
" 'You may just need to use it only one time, and you can borrow it from us without having to purchase it,' she said.
"McElligott has borrowed from the Library of Things occasionally, too. In fact, she said she once checked out the popover tins for some baking and likes to peruse the conversation starter cards.
"The collection of goods also came in handy when her basement flooded.
" 'I got one of the industrial fans and let it blow for days and hope that fixed it,' she said with a chuckle.
"Built up over a few years, the Library of Things offers the residents of Brunswick and #HarpswellME access to items they may not want to buy but still need. Plus, for a fee, residents from other communities can check out things, too.
"From those who need a KitchenAid mixer or are hoping to become a #DIYFixer, the Curtis Memorial Library has more than 1,500 items, plus some informational classes too.
" 'We did a #DIYPlumbing class, and then we bought the equipment you would need that were talked about in the program so you then you could go home and say, 'I can fix that myself,' McElligott said."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/p7lL5#SolarPunkSunday #LibrariesOfThings #LibraryOfThingsMaine #BorrowDontBuy #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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Brunswick library lets patrons borrow more than 1,500 gadgets and tools
The #LibraryOfThings in #BrunswickME offers tools, toys, appliances, and more for residents to use for their occasional needs.
Author: Christian Harsa
Published: 7:23 PM EST November 8, 2025BRUNSWICK, Maine — "There are plenty of things people buy, use once, then never find a need for again. It may be a pasta maker gathering dust or a steel drum long forgotten, but those tools and others can be found at the #CurtisMemorialLibrary in Brunswick all for free.
"The idea comes in part from the library's dedication to #sustainability.
"Kelly McElligott, a librarian and manager at the library, explained more about the Library of Things while indexing a shelf full of tools, safety equipment, and other #DIY gadgets.
" 'You may just need to use it only one time, and you can borrow it from us without having to purchase it,' she said.
"McElligott has borrowed from the Library of Things occasionally, too. In fact, she said she once checked out the popover tins for some baking and likes to peruse the conversation starter cards.
"The collection of goods also came in handy when her basement flooded.
" 'I got one of the industrial fans and let it blow for days and hope that fixed it,' she said with a chuckle.
"Built up over a few years, the Library of Things offers the residents of Brunswick and #HarpswellME access to items they may not want to buy but still need. Plus, for a fee, residents from other communities can check out things, too.
"From those who need a KitchenAid mixer or are hoping to become a #DIYFixer, the Curtis Memorial Library has more than 1,500 items, plus some informational classes too.
" 'We did a #DIYPlumbing class, and then we bought the equipment you would need that were talked about in the program so you then you could go home and say, 'I can fix that myself,' McElligott said."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/p7lL5#SolarPunkSunday #LibrariesOfThings #LibraryOfThingsMaine #BorrowDontBuy #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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How #LibrariesOfThings build #resilience, fight #ClimateChange, and bring communities together
by Tom Llewellyn
April 17, 2019Excerpt: "With climate-fueled disasters on the rise around the world, what role can tool libraries play in aiding community-led disaster response efforts?
" #ToolLibraries can play a huge role in #ClimateResilience and helping communities bounce forward after a disaster, but to be most effective they need to be in place before disasters like super-storms, floods, wildfires, or earthquakes.
"The tools, skills, and community that support a tool library can all be essential ingredients for rapid response and rebuilding. As we’ve seen after recent disasters, it can take weeks — or even months — for effective outside assistance to arrive, so the better-equipped communities are to help themselves, the better they will do after a disaster. Even if a tool library itself is damaged in a disaster, a redundant and reliable platform like #myTurn can help locate the tools that were checked out at the time of the disaster or items from other nearby tool libraries, so they can be put back into service quickly.
"Even before a disaster happens, tool libraries can play a number of roles in disaster preparation. Some of the most popular tools at the #PhinneyToolLibrary like concrete drills, palm nailers, air compressors, reciprocating saws are often borrowed to be used for earthquake retrofits, and the Oakland Tool Library even has earthquake retrofit kits. The social cohesion that tool libraries fosters also helps build community resilience.
"One final important, and often overlooked, benefit of tool libraries, #LibrariesOfThings, and other product sharing services is the large role they can play in reducing GHGs and climate risk in the first place. According to recent research by groups in Europe and the C40 Cities, consumer product consumption is the sector of the economy that has one of the, if not the, biggest environmental impact when taking into account resource extraction, manufacturing, and global supply chains, transportation, storage, use, and eventual disposal of products.
"Beyond reducing the 'embodied' energy in products through #reuse, some organizations are using tool libraries to further advance energy efficiency. For example, the Smart Buildings Center, SDG&E, and CUNY Building Performance Lab all run energy efficiency tool libraries that help homeowners, professionals, and construction companies retrofit existing buildings to reduce their energy use. Using shared tools to reduce energy consumption is a win-win for people, economics, and the planet."
#SolarPunkSunday #DisasterPreparedness #BorrowDontBuy #Resiliency #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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How #LibrariesOfThings build #resilience, fight #ClimateChange, and bring communities together
by Tom Llewellyn
April 17, 2019Excerpt: "With climate-fueled disasters on the rise around the world, what role can tool libraries play in aiding community-led disaster response efforts?
" #ToolLibraries can play a huge role in #ClimateResilience and helping communities bounce forward after a disaster, but to be most effective they need to be in place before disasters like super-storms, floods, wildfires, or earthquakes.
"The tools, skills, and community that support a tool library can all be essential ingredients for rapid response and rebuilding. As we’ve seen after recent disasters, it can take weeks — or even months — for effective outside assistance to arrive, so the better-equipped communities are to help themselves, the better they will do after a disaster. Even if a tool library itself is damaged in a disaster, a redundant and reliable platform like #myTurn can help locate the tools that were checked out at the time of the disaster or items from other nearby tool libraries, so they can be put back into service quickly.
"Even before a disaster happens, tool libraries can play a number of roles in disaster preparation. Some of the most popular tools at the #PhinneyToolLibrary like concrete drills, palm nailers, air compressors, reciprocating saws are often borrowed to be used for earthquake retrofits, and the Oakland Tool Library even has earthquake retrofit kits. The social cohesion that tool libraries fosters also helps build community resilience.
"One final important, and often overlooked, benefit of tool libraries, #LibrariesOfThings, and other product sharing services is the large role they can play in reducing GHGs and climate risk in the first place. According to recent research by groups in Europe and the C40 Cities, consumer product consumption is the sector of the economy that has one of the, if not the, biggest environmental impact when taking into account resource extraction, manufacturing, and global supply chains, transportation, storage, use, and eventual disposal of products.
"Beyond reducing the 'embodied' energy in products through #reuse, some organizations are using tool libraries to further advance energy efficiency. For example, the Smart Buildings Center, SDG&E, and CUNY Building Performance Lab all run energy efficiency tool libraries that help homeowners, professionals, and construction companies retrofit existing buildings to reduce their energy use. Using shared tools to reduce energy consumption is a win-win for people, economics, and the planet."
#SolarPunkSunday #DisasterPreparedness #BorrowDontBuy #Resiliency #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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How #LibrariesOfThings build #resilience, fight #ClimateChange, and bring communities together
by Tom Llewellyn
April 17, 2019Excerpt: "With climate-fueled disasters on the rise around the world, what role can tool libraries play in aiding community-led disaster response efforts?
" #ToolLibraries can play a huge role in #ClimateResilience and helping communities bounce forward after a disaster, but to be most effective they need to be in place before disasters like super-storms, floods, wildfires, or earthquakes.
"The tools, skills, and community that support a tool library can all be essential ingredients for rapid response and rebuilding. As we’ve seen after recent disasters, it can take weeks — or even months — for effective outside assistance to arrive, so the better-equipped communities are to help themselves, the better they will do after a disaster. Even if a tool library itself is damaged in a disaster, a redundant and reliable platform like #myTurn can help locate the tools that were checked out at the time of the disaster or items from other nearby tool libraries, so they can be put back into service quickly.
"Even before a disaster happens, tool libraries can play a number of roles in disaster preparation. Some of the most popular tools at the #PhinneyToolLibrary like concrete drills, palm nailers, air compressors, reciprocating saws are often borrowed to be used for earthquake retrofits, and the Oakland Tool Library even has earthquake retrofit kits. The social cohesion that tool libraries fosters also helps build community resilience.
"One final important, and often overlooked, benefit of tool libraries, #LibrariesOfThings, and other product sharing services is the large role they can play in reducing GHGs and climate risk in the first place. According to recent research by groups in Europe and the C40 Cities, consumer product consumption is the sector of the economy that has one of the, if not the, biggest environmental impact when taking into account resource extraction, manufacturing, and global supply chains, transportation, storage, use, and eventual disposal of products.
"Beyond reducing the 'embodied' energy in products through #reuse, some organizations are using tool libraries to further advance energy efficiency. For example, the Smart Buildings Center, SDG&E, and CUNY Building Performance Lab all run energy efficiency tool libraries that help homeowners, professionals, and construction companies retrofit existing buildings to reduce their energy use. Using shared tools to reduce energy consumption is a win-win for people, economics, and the planet."
#SolarPunkSunday #DisasterPreparedness #BorrowDontBuy #Resiliency #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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How #LibrariesOfThings build #resilience, fight #ClimateChange, and bring communities together
by Tom Llewellyn
April 17, 2019Excerpt: "With climate-fueled disasters on the rise around the world, what role can tool libraries play in aiding community-led disaster response efforts?
" #ToolLibraries can play a huge role in #ClimateResilience and helping communities bounce forward after a disaster, but to be most effective they need to be in place before disasters like super-storms, floods, wildfires, or earthquakes.
"The tools, skills, and community that support a tool library can all be essential ingredients for rapid response and rebuilding. As we’ve seen after recent disasters, it can take weeks — or even months — for effective outside assistance to arrive, so the better-equipped communities are to help themselves, the better they will do after a disaster. Even if a tool library itself is damaged in a disaster, a redundant and reliable platform like #myTurn can help locate the tools that were checked out at the time of the disaster or items from other nearby tool libraries, so they can be put back into service quickly.
"Even before a disaster happens, tool libraries can play a number of roles in disaster preparation. Some of the most popular tools at the #PhinneyToolLibrary like concrete drills, palm nailers, air compressors, reciprocating saws are often borrowed to be used for earthquake retrofits, and the Oakland Tool Library even has earthquake retrofit kits. The social cohesion that tool libraries fosters also helps build community resilience.
"One final important, and often overlooked, benefit of tool libraries, #LibrariesOfThings, and other product sharing services is the large role they can play in reducing GHGs and climate risk in the first place. According to recent research by groups in Europe and the C40 Cities, consumer product consumption is the sector of the economy that has one of the, if not the, biggest environmental impact when taking into account resource extraction, manufacturing, and global supply chains, transportation, storage, use, and eventual disposal of products.
"Beyond reducing the 'embodied' energy in products through #reuse, some organizations are using tool libraries to further advance energy efficiency. For example, the Smart Buildings Center, SDG&E, and CUNY Building Performance Lab all run energy efficiency tool libraries that help homeowners, professionals, and construction companies retrofit existing buildings to reduce their energy use. Using shared tools to reduce energy consumption is a win-win for people, economics, and the planet."
#SolarPunkSunday #DisasterPreparedness #BorrowDontBuy #Resiliency #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !
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How #LibrariesOfThings build #resilience, fight #ClimateChange, and bring communities together
by Tom Llewellyn
April 17, 2019Excerpt: "With climate-fueled disasters on the rise around the world, what role can tool libraries play in aiding community-led disaster response efforts?
" #ToolLibraries can play a huge role in #ClimateResilience and helping communities bounce forward after a disaster, but to be most effective they need to be in place before disasters like super-storms, floods, wildfires, or earthquakes.
"The tools, skills, and community that support a tool library can all be essential ingredients for rapid response and rebuilding. As we’ve seen after recent disasters, it can take weeks — or even months — for effective outside assistance to arrive, so the better-equipped communities are to help themselves, the better they will do after a disaster. Even if a tool library itself is damaged in a disaster, a redundant and reliable platform like #myTurn can help locate the tools that were checked out at the time of the disaster or items from other nearby tool libraries, so they can be put back into service quickly.
"Even before a disaster happens, tool libraries can play a number of roles in disaster preparation. Some of the most popular tools at the #PhinneyToolLibrary like concrete drills, palm nailers, air compressors, reciprocating saws are often borrowed to be used for earthquake retrofits, and the Oakland Tool Library even has earthquake retrofit kits. The social cohesion that tool libraries fosters also helps build community resilience.
"One final important, and often overlooked, benefit of tool libraries, #LibrariesOfThings, and other product sharing services is the large role they can play in reducing GHGs and climate risk in the first place. According to recent research by groups in Europe and the C40 Cities, consumer product consumption is the sector of the economy that has one of the, if not the, biggest environmental impact when taking into account resource extraction, manufacturing, and global supply chains, transportation, storage, use, and eventual disposal of products.
"Beyond reducing the 'embodied' energy in products through #reuse, some organizations are using tool libraries to further advance energy efficiency. For example, the Smart Buildings Center, SDG&E, and CUNY Building Performance Lab all run energy efficiency tool libraries that help homeowners, professionals, and construction companies retrofit existing buildings to reduce their energy use. Using shared tools to reduce energy consumption is a win-win for people, economics, and the planet."
#SolarPunkSunday #DisasterPreparedness #BorrowDontBuy #Resiliency #SharingEconomy #LibrariesRule !