We have one near my place that I'm a member of, it's run by volunteers. They have stuff outside of tools too (camping/cooking gear). You can view the stuff their inventory before you join: https://toolsnthingslibraryperthwa.myturn.com/library/
The main downside for me is returning the items in the window they're open.
Great question! Patio isn't a traditional tool library—it’s a peer-to-peer platform where anyone can list and rent tools directly from people nearby, similar way to Airbnb. So instead of being run by an organization, it’s the community itself that powers it. We're just making it easy, safe, and fast to share tools locally.
I wonder which is more efficient: to manage tools or manage the need. Rather than putting up a yard sign for "I have a hammer, guys", one that says "hey guys, I need a hammer"
Great point — and thanks for sharing it. We’re actually exploring ways to let people post requests, not just listings, so it's easy to say “I need a hammer” and connect with someone nearby. It’s all about making those timely, local connections simple.
